Narcissus and the Pomegranate
by DelenaDJ
Summary: PART OF MY CROSSOVER COLLECTION. In the land of rolling fields and crashing waves, there exists the Strigoi, the vampires which predate vampires. The gods that ruled over the blood. Their story is long and arduous and begins with the ones known to the humans as Persephone and Hades.
1. Seven Devils

The calm waters of the Mediterranean did not even jostle the boat when Sophie Deveraux stepped onto it.

"Where to?" asked the pilot of the boat.

"Sifnos Island. Apollonia," Sophie replied. Nothing was going to stop her from accomplishing her task.

"Coming to see the Great Tomb, eh?"

"What do you know about it?"

"Every Grecian knows their history and knows about the Strigoi, especially those that are _magissas_."

"You're a witch?"

"Yes, ma'am. You are one too. You communicate with your ancestral spirits." Sophie nodded. "You hope to awaken the Strigoi?"

"To save our city from ruin."

"Where do you come from?"

"The United States. New Orleans."

"Ah. I see now. That city is run by Deimos, Ares' minion of terror."

"In our town, he is known as Marcel and he must be stopped."

"Awakening Strigoi to deal with Strigoi. Quite a risky move, young witch."

"Sometimes you have to fight fire with fire and I hear those entombed in Apollonia have quite the beef with Marcel."

"You would be correct," the Grecian man chuckled. "You have done your research well."

"Not really. Most of what I've heard is from rumors passed down in my family. All the written documents of the Strigoi were either destroyed or written in Greek."

"Well, it's a long journey. I can tell you all about Strigoi." Sophie nodded. "In ancient times, a tribe of monsters came to our shores, roamed in our fields. They fed upon our people and this virus turned our dead. The people fought and fought against the Strigoi, but only won through sacrifice. Fourteen of the Strigoi survived the Great Battle and repopulated their tribe. We made peace with them, building altars and sacrificing our worldly possessions and animals in their name. In exchange, they brought us good fortune and peace. A group known as the Imperials ruled over the lower-ranked Strigoi and the humans. They were gods. Their ferocity had no bounds. There was Hades, King of the Underworld, Persephone, Queen of the Underworld, Athena, Goddess of Warfare, Poseidon, God of the Oceans, Zeus, God of Lightning, Ares, God of Warfare, Apollo, God of the Sun, Hephaestus, God of the Forge, Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt, Hermes, God of Thieves, Hera, Goddess of Marriage, Dionysus, God of Wine, Hestia, Goddess of the Home, and Aphrodite, Goddess of Love.

"Of course these names were their Greek names. They refused to share their true names to those they ruled over. Their pantheon reigned over the land for years upon years. But a battle was brewing between these particular Strigoi, monsters whose lust for blood was as powerful as their unearthly abilities. The power to grow plants, to raze buildings, flood towns with one single touch. Such powers are not of this world, young witch. I question whether the Strigoi even are of this world sometimes. The tensions brewing between the Strigoi reached a head when the Scandal of Persephone and Hades came about. The dark lord fell in love with a fair goddess of nature who was beloved by all Strigoi, Persephone. Some say Hades abducted her while others say they fell in love and ran off. While many of the gods thirsted for Persephone and her sweet blood, none could have her but Hades, her passionate lover and the newly coronated King of the Strigoi. The previous king, Zeus, had abdicated the throne to him after the god had shown such valor in battle. None could defy Hades' will…until the Rebellion began."

_2,800 Years Ago, Near Athens, Greece_

Apollo's sun began to set on the castle of Lord Hades and as the servants lit candles throughout the palace, Hades filled himself to his heart's content with Persephone's sweet blood.

"You tempt me so, my Queen," Hades growled in the flesh of his lady's thigh.

"You tempt me always, my King."

"Rebellion brews over my action concerning you. They believe you are too much of a distraction, that I am weak."

"You are anything but. I sense them coming, but you would kill them all for me, wouldn't you, Hades?" Persephone whispered as she sat up and licked Hades' neck. He rolled his eyes in pleasure.

"Whatever your desire is, my love, it shall be fulfilled. But say it again with my true name."

"You would kill every single one of them, wouldn't you…Damon?" With that he entered her tight heat.

"Until not a single drop of blood was left, my Elena."

"And the humans?" she gasped as he thrust into her.

"They would be nothing but dust, my love."

"I despise them, the names they give us."

"What is it you desire?"

"Blood. Kill them all. Let me bathe in that crimson essence."

"Who would have thought my sweet Persephone would be so blood-thirsty?"

"Don't call me that in this bed."

And the night continued so with dark whispers of a future they envisioned until the Strigoi came calling.

_Present Day_

"Hades, Persephone, her twin sister, Aphrodite, and Hades' brother, Poseidon stood firm among the remaining Strigoi and the Rebellion failed miserably for their souls were consumed. Hades ripped into the very essences of Apollo, Ares, and Hephaestus. Persephone's blood lust was quenched by Hera and Artemis. Aphrodite took in the delightful souls of Athena and Hestia. And Poseidon completely devoured Hermes, Dionysus, and Zeus. However, the four Strigoi were met with repercussions of their own. Aphrodite and Persephone were separated from their husbands as the souls they consumed ripped them from the inside out. Persephone and Aphrodite were the only ones to survive and the Curse of the Strigoi became known. The curse inflicted on them by Hera stated that for centuries, Aphrodite and Persephone would live, travellers of time, mourning their lost loves, but when the stars aligned, Hades and Poseidon would be reincarnated and the Age of the Strigoi would reach its zenith and the blood would truly flow."

"Were they ever reincarnated?"

"Why of course. In the 1500s, Aphrodite reunited with her husband, Poseidon, in Florence, Italy."

"What about Persephone?"

"That didn't occur until much later. 1553 I believe was the year. Hades had since been reincarnated and was roaming the countryside, looking for Aphrodite and his brother. He believed he was truly in love with Aphrodite and that she was locked in a cave and had to be rescued. He had confused this goddess with his own love, Persephone, for both goddesses are identical in appearance. That was when a servant of Persephone found him."

_1553, Budapest_

Damon fed voraciously on a human and heard footsteps behind him. He growled at the scent. It was familiar, but he couldn't place it. His meal dropped to the ground, completely drained.

"It is only me, my lord. I did not mean to startle you."

"Remind me of your name again."

"Of course. I am Sage, a servant of the Strigoi."

"Sage, forgive me for not remembering. My mind is still fragmented from that bloody curse. You may aid me in my search. I seek to release the spell holding Aphrodite in the Caves of Malachi."

"Aphrodite? Don't you mean Katherine? My lord, do you not remember our true names?"

"Like I said, my memory is not whole. She will bring it back to me. I must free my love, Aphrodite." Sage was taken aback. This did not bode well. She had to do something quickly.

"I have a solution. I know a Strigoi who is a master at breaking spells. She has also been anxiously awaiting your reincarnation."

"Take me to this Strigoi. What is her name?"

"Persephone."

"Persephone. The name sounds…familiar."

"As it should, my Lord," Sage replied. "You and Lady Persephone fought valiantly in battle against the humans and those Strigoi that rose up against us."

"Take me to her at once. This Persephone should be able to help me free Aphrodite."

_The following day, Constanta, Romania_

Elena looked out the window of her Romanian castle forlornly. Her sister was living a romantically blissful life in the south of France while she sat in her big castle…alone. She was shaken out of her depressive thoughts when she felt a presence. She smiled.

"Hecate. You've returned."

"Yes, my Lady," Sage replied. "And I've brought a gift."

"If it's not Damon, I'm not interested."

"You will be pleased then, my Lady." Elena turned around in shock.

"You found him?" Elena asked on the verge of tears.

"Yes. In Budapest."

"I must see him."

"My lady, I must warn you. He is not all together. His memory is incomplete. For some reason, he believes Aphrodite is trapped in the Caves of Malachi and that she is his true love, not you. I lured him here under false pretense." Elena simply smiled at her friend.

"Do not worry, old friend. He is here. That is all that matters."

"But…"

"He will remember. He has been gone without his other half for so long. I'm not surprised the memories have faded."

"I will escort him to the throne room."

"No. Take him to the gallery."

"As you wish."

Several minutes later, Damon was escorted by Sage down a hallway filled with paintings and sculptures of Persephone over the centuries.

"Why does Persephone live in Aphrodite's castle?" Damon asked.

"The paintings and sculptures aren't of Aphrodite, my Lord. They're of Persephone." He looked at her curiously. "They're twin sisters." Sage then opened the double doors to a large gallery filled with paintings of Hades and Persephone. Elena stood with her back to Damon. She was feeding a large three-headed dog, Cerberus. "May I introduce you, Lord Hades, to Lady Persephone." Elena turned her head and Damon was thrown for a loop. He remembered…everything.

"Elena," he whispered. She smiled.

"Welcome home, my love." In a poof of black smoke, Damon flashed in front of Elena and kissed her. For millennia, he'd been without her touch and all he wanted was to be consumed by his dark queen. His Persephone.

_Present Day_

"After that day and a glorious reunion, Hades and Persephone gathered all the remaining Strigoi on Earth and issued a decree. The past would not repeat itself so they created a monarchy that they themselves would lead and declared they would found a city all their own. A city that would never fade and would glorify their past. That was the day Strigoi society was born. Legend has it they became the leaders of the Strigoi and were never heard of again."

"You and I both know that's not true," Sophie replied.

"Yes. It is not. The legends are not always that accurate. Hades and Persephone were heard of again. They formed your city. New Orleans. Every year on their anniversary, Strigoi came from all over the world to pay tribute and decided if they wanted to live in the capital of Strigoi society. But their peace was soon interrupted. It's unknown which Strigoi committed the crime, but they were driven away from New Orleans. It is said a Strigoi employed a witch to harness the spirit of Zeus and use his power to cast a spell over them. They ran as fast as they could, but Zeus' wrath can never be evaded. Eventually, the spell caught up to them and put them in an eternal sleep. And the sore cure for their slumber is for a descendant of the witch line that awakened the God of Lightning to feed her blood to the Maiden of Spring."

The boat then docked at Sifnos Island where a coven of witches was waiting for Sophie.

"Sophie Deveraux," said the leader of the group. "I am Tatiana, the Mayor of Apollonia. All the arrangements have been made. Come."

Swiftly, Sophie was taken to a hotel in Apollonia. Four black stone coffins stood in the middle of the Presidential Suite. Each coffin was imprinted with a different symbol. One featured a scepter and narcissus flower, the other a crown and pomegranate, the one after a swan carrying a sprig of myrtle, and the last one inscribed with a trident and dolphin.

"I thought you didn't approve of me awakening the remaining Strigoi, Tatiana?" Sophie asked.

"At first, I thought it was ludicrous, but I do see the wisdom in your decision. The Strigoi are out of control. Hades and Persephone were the only ones to ever be able to bring order to their kind. And you are the only one who can awaken them." Sophie walked to the coffins and stopped by the one symbol featuring a crown and pomegranate.

"This one. I recognize the symbol. It's that of Persephone."

"Good eye. She's the one you must awaken first. For her blood will awaken the others. The Queen of Darkness, the embodiment of Nature itself. Place your hand on the seal and the coffin will do the rest. I leave you to your work." Tatiana then left with her coven. Sophie hesitated.

"Grow a backbone, Sophie. It can't be that bad." Sophie placed her hand on the seal and it glowed. Suddenly, a black snake emerged from the seal and bit Sophie. She winced as it began to drink her blood. After a few pulls, it let go and the whole coffin glowed green. Sophie heard a heart beat and smoke poured out of the coffin as it unsealed. A hand grabbed the edge of the stone and Elena rose from the coffin. She looked around the room and saw an amazed Sophie and the three coffins beside her.

"You. You woke me?"

"Yes."

"Your blood is disgusting."

"My apologies."

"Hmm. It could be the witch blood running through your veins or maybe the taste of humans has grown sour. Are you a virgin?"

"What?" Sophie asked flabbergasted. "That's none of your business!"

"You are, aren't you?" Elena laughed.

"No! I'm totally not a virgin."

"I thought so. Virgin blood tastes so much sweeter." Sophie couldn't believe how easily she'd been duped. Elena then noticed pomegranates on a table. "Ooh. Pomegranates!" She flew, not walked, over to the table and took a bite. "Hmm. My favorite." Sophie's expectation so was not meeting with the reality of the situation. Persephone was supposed to be a badass Strigoi and the woman in front of her was acting more like a kid.

"Um, you are Persephone, right?"

"Ugh. I hate that name. It's so long. Call me my real name. Elena."

"Okay. You are Persephone, right?"

"Uh, hello. Pomegranates. Of course I'm Persephone. And that's Damon. And that's Katherine. And that's Stefan." Sophie looked at Elena, confused. "Hades, Aphrodite, and Poseidon? Don't you read your Greek history or were you just born this stupid?"

"My apologies. I was taken off guard. I really need your help, Lady Persephone. I mean, Elena." Elena giggled.

"Well of course you do, silly," Elena replied as she flew on her back around the room, eating her pomegranate. "You wouldn't have woken me up if you didn't. Deveraux witches frown on undoing their own spells. I suppose it'd be best to wake everyone up. I presume your reasoning for our awakening is quite serious and my husband is a master at diabolical plans. So let's get to it, shall we?" The French doors opened and Elena flew outside. Sophie ran onto the balcony and watched as Elena hummed a song and green energy swirled around her. She then flew back inside the room. "Okey-dokie. I've absorbed enough natural energy to wake them." Green energy left Elena's body and covered Damon, Katherine, and Stefan's coffins. With a hiss, Katherine and Stefan's coffins opened. The two Strigoi moaned as they worked out the kinks in their necks.

"Stefan!" Katherine yelled, hugging her beloved. Sophie watched the scene and couldn't believe the comical nature of it all. They sure didn't seem like badass Strigoi the legends spoke of. They were more like love-struck teenagers. Sophie then noticed that Damon's coffin hadn't open.

"Uh-oh. Sissy looks mad," said Katherine to Stefan.

"Such a drama queen that brother of mine," Stefan replied, putting his arm around Katherine. Sophie observed as Elena pouted and hit the coffin with her foot before slamming her hand on the top.

"Damon, wake up! I gave you enough natural energy! Stop being such a lazy bum!"

"You're going to have to do it," Katherine smirked. "Unless you want me too."

"Shut up, Kat! He's my husband, not yours. You have a perfectly fine one right next to you. Slut," Elena grumbled.

"I am so not a slut!" Katherine growled.

"Ladies, ladies," Stefan intervened. Elena sighed and flew over the top of the coffin and then Sophie noticed a distinct change in the woman, particularly in her voice. It turned more seductive.

"Damon, darling, wake up. WAKE UP!" she yelled. "Come on now. Don't be so grumpy. Wake up. If you do, I'll let you do that thing to me in bed that I never let you do." With a shriek, Elena was pulled into the coffin and it began to shake and move. Sophie looked at Stefan.

"That's my brother for you. Doesn't always think with his head. What a doofus. Elena's going to kick his ass."

"I doubt that," Sophie said, beginning to think the woman wasn't even capable of that.

"NOT NOW, YOU IDIOT!" The top of the coffin was thrust across the room, Damon along with it. Elena had kicked the man in stomach.

"You're so mean, Lena," Damon grumbled. He then noticed Sophie. "Ooh. You brought lunch."

"She's not lunch. She awakened me. She needs our help."

"You must be desperate then," said Damon.

"I'm beginning to think that. You guys are Strigoi right?"

"Duh," Damon replied.

"I mean man-eating, ass-kicking Strigoi."

"I don't know how much more articulate you want us to be, little human."

"The name's Sophie," she snapped. "Sophie Devereux and I'm beginning to think this was a mistake. I don't see how you four are going to help me take care of Marcel." The four Strigoi paled and their mannerisms grew more serious and vampiric.

"Deimos, you say? After all these years, he's still alive?" Damon chuckled.

"He is resilient," said Stefan.

"What's Ares' spoiled little brat done this time?" Katherine asked.

"Things have changed since you left town. Marcel has changed. We have a Strigoi problem and we need help. Marcel has an army backing him. The witches have been trying to fight back. We haven't had much luck. Marcel, who you brought up under your wing, Damon, now rules a menagerie of savage Strigoi running wild, killing in public for any human to come upon. Witches are held in subjugation. I promise I'll explain everything in more detail when we get to New Orleans."

"Agreed," Damon replied. "Now I believe a change of clothes and a hot meal is in order."

"I'll make arrangements…" Suddenly, Damon grabbed Sophie from behind.

"I think you'll do just fine." Damon sank his fangs into Sophie's neck and Katherine and Stefan, both hungry as well bit her wrists. They all three stopped soon after as to not totally drain her. Damon picked her up and laid her on the couch. "Love, do you want some?"

"I've tasted her. She's not exactly my type."

"Ah, yes. You've always been partial to virgins. I'll find you one on the way to New Orleans." They then left the hotel room. A few minutes later, Sophie came to and found a note lying on her chest.

_We'll be making the trip to New Orleans on our own. Don't wait up. You'll know when we're there. ~ Elena_

"Damnit," Sophie cursed.

Meanwhile, Damon, Stefan, Elena, and Katherine were walking out of the main lobby of the hotel.

"So what do you think of the witch's little story?" Damon asked his wife.

"It's time we discovered which Strigoi betrayed us and called forth Zeus. And whatever is going on between Marcel and the witches…it's dire enough that they'd risk bringing Imperial Strigoi back to town. The witches are luring us there. I'd like to know why, wouldn't you?" All four Strigoi smirked and snapped their fingers. Their clothing changed into something more appropriate for the time period. A teal lace dress for Elena, a grey, pink, and white bandage dress for Katherine, a black suit for Damon, and a gray suit for Stefan. They walked out of the hotel and down the street. Their awakening appeared to affect reality itself. Small sparks of black fire began to rise up as Damon's eyes smoldered red. Elena's eyes glowed green and vines grew along the surrounding homes. Katherine's eyes shone white and a tornado of wind began to swirl in the distance. Stefan's eyes turned blue and the once calm waves of the ocean crashed across the banks. The Imperials were back…with a vengeance.


	2. This Land Is Your Land

_Mississippi River, 300 years ago_

"What do you make of that?" a man asked his friends on the bank of the river.

"No banner, no flag. Floated in out of nowhere. A miracle ship."

"Why is it just sitting out there?"

"Suppose we ought to find out." They took a small boat to the ship and after boarding, walked down into the hold. The steps creaked and chains clinked from the ceiling. "Where in hell is everyone?"

"Deserted which makes everything in the hold legally forfeit. Take what suits you."

Suddenly, the men except for one sole survivor were dragged one by one into the darkness and the main deck.

"Hello," said a feminine voice. The man turned around to face Elena. The veins around her glowing green eyes began to disappear and as she wiped blood off her lips with a handkerchief her irises turned to their normal shade of brown. "Lovely to see such a handsome face after a long journey. Can I eat him, love?"

"I'd rather you didn't." The man turned around to see Damon behind him. "There's no need to be afraid. He'll do exactly as I say and remember nothing." He compelled the man.

"I will remember nothing," the human repeated.

"We've had a very long journey, wherein which, unfortunately, we lost all of our crew. Therefore, I will ask you kindly to transport our belongings to the shore."

"What kind of hell demons are you?"

"We're Strigoi, darling," Elena replied. "The sole remaining Imperial Strigoi: Elena, Queen of the Strigoi and the Underworld, Damon, King of the Strigoi and the Underworld…"

"Are we saving the best for last?" Katherine asked from the main deck. They all turned to see Katherine, hands on her hips, and Stefan beside her still feeding.

"And my sister, Katherine, Goddess of Love, along with her husband, Stefan, God of the Oceans. Ignore them. They're beasts." Stefan laughed and pushed the dead body he was feeding from into the hold. It landed with a loud thud right at Elena's feet.

"We fled Europe and survived the seas. Would you rather we arrive hungry on the shores of our new homeland?" Stefan asked.

"Brother, your manners are, as always without equal," Damon replied. "Sir, would you be so good as to tell us where it is that we have landed?"

"The French colony of Louisiana, off the shores of a town they have named New Orleans."

"Thank you so much. Oh, I do recommend that you find yourself further assistance for the luggage. My wife is quite the collector of the finer things in life. My sincere apologies." Damon took Elena's hand and they left the hold. The human looked around with his lantern to see men lying dead on the ground, some against the wall, covered in their own blood, their insides covering the floor and walls. It was clearly a massacre.

_Present Day_

Elena was woken out of her dream of the past when Damon lightly shook her shoulder.

"Elena?" he called.

"Hmm. I'm sorry. Did I fall asleep?"

"We've arrived. I'm worried. You've been sleeping a lot more than usual."

"I'm just tired."

"That's odd. You aren't eating enough." Damon opened the door of their taxi cab and they stepped out onto Bourbon Street. "Well, what do you think?" Elena took in the bustling city and smelled the deep scents of Strigoi. Flashes of images when they left New Orleans breached her consciousness.

"Over the course of my long life as not only a Goddess of Nature, but Queen of the Underworld, I have come to believe we are bound together forever with those we love," Elena replied. "That bond becomes our greatest strength…or our deepest regret. That unfortunate truth has haunted me for as long as I can recall. Let's see what category Marcel fits in. A strength or a regret." Damon nodded. "When are Stefan and Katherine going to arrive?"

"Stefan will be here by nightfall. Katherine's going to stay a few more days in New York."

"They've both missed their daughter, Harmonia. Very well." The two Strigoi then walked up to a woman sitting at a table. "Ah. A fortune teller. Time for one more?" Agnes knew immediately who the two of them were.

"I have nothing to say to you."

"Oh, now that's not very amiable, is it? You don't even know us," Damon replied.

"I know what you are. You're Strigoi."

"Correction. Imperial Strigoi," Elena snapped. "There's a difference."

"But that's a story for another time," Damon replied. "I was told by a Deveraux witch that when I came to town I should speak with Jane-Anne Deveraux. Perhaps you might be able to help us find her."

"Sorry. I don't know."

"Well, now that's a lie, isn't it?" Elena replied. The woman tried to get up, but vines grew up the table and pinned Agnes's hands and feet.

"Now, I know that you're a true witch amongst this sea of posers so enough with the falsehoods. Persephone gets quite impatient when she hasn't fed," Damon replied. Agnes' eyes widened in realization.

"Persep…Then that makes you Hades." Damon shrugged. "Witches don't talk outta school in the Quarter. The Strigoi doesn't allow it. Those are the rules. I don't break Marcel's rules."

"Marcel. And where do you suppose I might find Marcel?"

After discovering the man's location, they left for a bar. Damon slammed the door open and Marcel and his fellow Strigoi looked over at them.

"Damon," said Marcel.

"Marcel."

"Must be a hundred years since that nasty business with Zeus."

"Has it been that long?" They slowly started to approach one another.

"The way I recall it, Mikael ran you outta town. Left a trail of dead Strigoi in his wake."

"And yet how fortunate you managed to survive," Elena replied. "Zeus, I'm afraid, is now dust." Marcel's companions stood and readied themselves for a confrontation.

"If I'd known you were coming back in town, if I had a heads-up…"

"What, Deimos? What would you have done?" Damon asked. They stood nose to nose.

"I'd have thrown you a damn parade," Marcel laughed. Damon and Elena returned the merriment and hugged the man. "Damon and Elena, my mentors, my saviors, my family. Let's get you a drink."

In another room a few minutes later, Marcel poured Damon and Elena a glass of blood.

"It's good to see you both. I had heard you were all put in an eternal sleep," said Marcel.

"Rumors are typically greatly exaggerated," Elena replied.

"True."

"It's good to be home," Damon replied. "Although please tell me the current state of Bourbon Street is not your doing." Marcel chuckled.

"Something's gotta draw in the out-of-towners, otherwise we'd all go hungry." Damon peered at one of the guys flanking the doorway of the room. He had on a lapis lazuli ring, a mark of a human turned into a Strigoi.

There are two ways in which Strigoi can be created: either through mating with another Strigoi or by killing a human with Strigoi blood in their system. Turned Strigoi are referred to as Half-Bloods. One drawback of turning humans is that they are vulnerable to the sun. Lapis lazuli rings protect Half-Bloods from the sun's burning rays. Another distinction between Strigoi is that those that are born are separated into two classes: Imperials and Servants. Servants graduate to the level of Imperial when they are bestowed the honor unanimously by all the remaining Imperials.

"I see you've been making Half-Bloods."

"Yeah. Just to bolster the ranks up a bit. Some of them don't have rings though. I only give those out to the Inner Circle."

"Tell me. How did you find witches willing to make the daylight rings?"

"I got the witches around here wrapped around my finger."

"Is that so? We're looking for a witch by the name of Jane-Anne Deveraux. Has some business with me."

"You're looking for Jane-Anne? You probably oughta come with me. It's showtime!"

Out on a street at night, a crowd of people began to form. Half-Bloods walked along rooftops and jumped onto cars, setting off alarms while a large group of Strigoi followed Marcel, Damon, and Elena.

"Talk about not knowing the meaning of the word subtle," Damon growled.

"It's the Quarter. No such thing as subtle," Marcel replied. He whistled with his fingers and the surrounding crowd cheered. One Half-Blood brought forward Jane-Anne, whose wrists were bound with rope in front of her. "Jane-Anne Deveraux! Give it up for Jane-Anne! Come on, let's hear it! Jane-Anne Deveraux, you have been accused of the practice of witchcraft beyond the bounds of the rules set forth, and enforced, by me. How do you plead?" He turned abruptly and walked over to Damon and Elena. "Was that convincing? I studied law back in the '50s. Hold that thought." He returned to Jane-Anne. "Seriously, J, tick-tock. You know the drill. How do you plead?"

"I didn't do anything." The crowd laughed quietly.

"Mm, that's a lie. You know it, I know it, and you hate that I know it. It drives you witches crazy that I'm aware of your every move. That you can't do magic in this town without getting caught." Damon and Elena looked at each other, curious. Never in the history of Strigoi had the immortal creatures of the night controlled the guardians of nature. And witches were not a sleeping bear that you wanted to poke. "So, why don't we just cut to the chase, huh? You tell me what magic you're brewing. I mean, tell me. I'll grant you leniency. Hey, I am, after all, a merciful man." The crowd observed in utter silence. Jane-Anne scoffed, a disgusted look on her face.

"Rot in hell, monster." Shocked murmuring rumbled through the crowd. Marcel smiled.

"I'll tell you what. I'll give you one more chance..." Marcel started to walk away. Suddenly, he swung the branch he had so fast that it sliced open Jane-Anne neck. She immediately began to gag. Damon and Elena looked away in shock and disgust. "Or not." Jane-Anne fell to the ground and the crowd cheered. As the crowd moved on, Damon and Elena looked at the body, displeased. Damon growled.

"Don't do anything foolish," Elena warned. Damon stalked off toward Marcel, Elena following him.

"What the hell was that?" Damon asked angrily.

"Hey. Come walk with me. The witches aren't allowed to do magic here. She broke the rules."

"I believe I was specific when I said we wanted to talk to her. In order for her to speak, she has to be alive!"

"Hey, I'm sorry. I got caught up in the show. Those witches, they think that they still have power in this town. I have to show them that they don't. I never waste an opportunity for a show of force, something you taught me. And besides, anything that you could've gotten outta her, I can find out for you, and I will. I promise."

"Well, doesn't matter anymore, does it?"

"Good, good."

"Then let's eat, 'cause all that spilled blood is making me hungry," said Elena. Marcel walked off while Damon and Elena hung back. Meanwhile, on another street in the Quarter, a female tour guide was leading some tourists down the street.

"Welcome to New Orleans, and the crown jewel of the Crescent City, the French Quarter. Jazz and jambalaya, romance, poetry, not to mention the things that go bump in the night. Monsters that feed off human blood, vengeful spirits of the dead, and my personal favorite, the witches. Here we have the voodoo shop, Jardin Gris. Go on, browse for a hex." The tourists entered the shop while the guide stayed outside. "Are you going to continue following me, Poseidon, or do you wanna talk?"

"I believe the Age of Antiquity has longed passed," Stefan replied, emerging from the shadows. "Call me Stefan."

"Hmm. You and your family are famous amongst the witches, especially with your brother back in town."

"Our family was told by Sophie when we came to town to look for Jane-Anne Deveraux."

"It's a little late for that."

"Are you telling me she's dead?"

"Come on. Sophie's gonna want to talk to you." She led him to a crowd of witches, standing and kneeling sadly around the body of their fallen friend, Jane-Anne. Blood seeped from the witches neck and flowers and candles were placed around the corpse. Sophie sat next to her sister, weeping silently.

"That's Jane-Anne? Killed in public for anyone to find!" Stefan growled, angry at Marcel's lack of foresight.

"Only people that come around here anymore are the witches. Now her sister has come to take her body. Her spirit can't rest until it's been properly interred in the cemetery."

"Please tell me Damon and Elena had nothing to do with this," Stefan sighed, remembering their deep disdain for witches.

"No. Jane-Anne died because she got caught doing magic."

"What do you mean by that?" They heard a loud whistle.

"You wanna know who killed Jane-Anne? You're about to get your first glimpse of Marcel in action. I'm asking you to stay hidden. If Marcel finds out that a witch lured the Imperials back into town, my people will be slaughtered." Stefan vamp-sped up onto a spot on the balcony.

"Well, well, well, what have we here? I gotta tell you Soph, this street corner is not proving the luckiest spot for your family tonight. Not half an hour ago, we had to teach your sister a little lesson," said Marcel.

"We're putting her to rest, Marcel. Leave us alone," Sophie replied.

"I never said you could move the body. Matter of fact, I left her here for a reason: send a message. If anybody is thinking of joining some kind of rebellion, my rules state that witches can't practice magic in the Quarter and yet a little birdy informed me that Jane-Anne was cooking up something magically delicious. Oh, yeah. While I have you, quick Q&A. Some Imperials, some old friends of mine, just happened to show up out of the blue asking for, of all people, Jane-Anne. Any idea why?"

"I don't know. Witches don't get involved in Strigoi business."

"Hmm. That would be pretty stupid, that's for sure. Tell you what, go back to the restaurant, cook up some of that famous gumbo, and keep those tourists happy." He turned to his Half-Bloods. "Take the body."

"What? No! Stop! Stop! Marcel!"

"I'm gonna hold on to your sister's body in case maybe you remember why Damon and Elena are here."

"Marcel, please. Her body won't be at peace."

"Not my problem."

At Rousseau's, Sophie Deveraux was chopping up vegetables, clearly upset. She turned around and saw Damon and Elena in front of her.

"You're upset," said Damon. She sent him a blank look.

"I assume this is because of what we just witnessed with your sister on the corner of Royal and St. Anne?" Elena added.

"Did you enjoy the show?"

"Eh. It was a little melodramatic for my tastes. Why did Marcel kill her?" Sophie opened her mouth to speak but then noticed a few men arriving at the bar.

"I see you brought friends." Damon turned and saw the men.

"They're not with us," he replied.

"They're with Marcel. That's all that matters. I know you two built this town, but this is his town now. He killed my sister because she broke the rules. So I talk to you in front of them, I'm next."

"This is bloody ridiculous," Elena seethed. She stormed to the men by the bar and sank her grip into their shoulders as Damon watched, a smirk on his face. It'd been a long time since he'd seen his wife this annoyed. Things were bound to get interesting. "Hello, _boys_," she said sweetly. "Are you following us?"

"Marcel said we're your guides."

"Oh, he did, did he? Such a sweet boy. Well then, let me be exceedingly clear about something: if I find either of you following us again, you'll do so without the benefit of a spine." She tightened her grip on them until the bartender approached.

"Sorry for the wait. If you're here for the gumbo, I'm about to break your heart. We just ran out," said Cami. Damon then approached and placed a hundred dollar bill on the bar as Elena released her grip on the two vampires.

"Your oldest bourbon for our two friends here," said Damon. Cami took the bill, smiled, and walked away. Elena then resumed her hold on the men.

"If Marcel wants to know what we're up to, he can ask us himself," Elena said to the Half-Bloods, her voice growing more vicious. She then slammed their heads on the table, leaving them with bloody noses. Sophie watched from the other side of the restaurant and walked out the back alley exit. She stopped at a small table covered with lit candles, her cheeks wet with tears. As she tended to the candles, the door behind her suddenly swung shut with a bang and startled her. Wary, she remained still when a figure jumped. She swiveled around, but saw no one. She turned again to see the man who spoke to Elena inside.

"The doors work, you know."

"You're doing magic?" A second voice spoke.

"I'm praying to my dead sister. Go ahead, pay your respects." She turned back to the other guy, who vamp-sped right in front of her.

"Don't make this a thing, Sophie. Imperials were looking for Jane-Anne. Marcel wants to know why."

"Oh, that sounds like witch business. I'd say ask her yourself, but I guess you can't, seeing as Marcel killed her." One of the Half-Bloods prepared to attack her from behind, but suddenly he disappeared. She and the second man looked up. They then turned at the sound of something falling to the ground. A heart oozing blood. The remaining Half-Blood prepared to attack Sophie, but their attacker threw him up against a brick building where he was held by a long stake protruding from his chest. Sophie took in the man in front of her while another jumped down a building.

"I never was fond of Half-Bloods. They're so beneath us," Stefan replied. "Hello, Sophie."

"Stefan," Sophie gulped.

"Now, I believe it's time you told me precisely what it is you want from my family."

"We want to run Marcel and his crew out of town. Damon is the key. Everything Marcel knows about being a Strigoi, he learned from him. Marcel trusts him, looks up to him, and he won't see the betrayal coming."

"Yes, well, I'm sure you're aware Damon isn't one to be told what to do. Not unless it comes from Elena."

"That's why I awakened all of you. Did you know Elena has been sleeping an awful lot since her awakening?"

"What are you getting at?"

"Something all of you have failed to realize. She's pregnant. The spell my sister did, the one that got her killed. It confirmed the pregnancy. The child will have power. It comes from the blood of the King and Queen of the Imperials, automatically giving it the status of an Imperial. Now Marcel drove the lycans out of town decades ago. Do you really think he's going to welcome a new Imperial baby to the neighborhood? Convince Damon to help us and no one has to know about the newest member of the Imperials."

"That sounds remarkably like blackmail."

"Because it is. I'm desperate."

"Well then, I have my work cut out for me, don't I?"

Later that night, Damon and Elena walked down a street and turned down an alleyway that led to a covered courtyard, where people were drinking, dancing, and generally having a good time. Elena noticed some Strigoi and Half-Bloods were openly feeding on humans.

"How reckless," Elena sighed. Damon spotted one of Marcel's men and approached him aggressively.

"Where is Marcel?" he asked.

"Who the hell is asking?" Elena laughed at the vampire's ineptitude.

"I assume you're joking," Damon returned.

"I only answer to Marcel."

"Well then, in that case perhaps you'll answer to this." Damon seized the man by the neck and his eyes turned red, his voice rising until he was shouting. "You're aware I am an Imperial, the King of the Underworld. One bite from me and the venom I can inject from my fangs and you're on a way trip to the Underworld. So I'm gonna ask you one more time: where is Marcel!" Marcel's voice rose from behind Damon and he hurried over to break up the confrontation.

"He-hey, I'm right here, I'm right here, e-e-easy now. Diego's just looking out for me. You remember my little brother, right?"

"Hmm. Phobos, The God of Fear," Elena replied. "Haven't seen you for centuries. You're all grown up now. You look so different I didn't even recognize you."

"Where's Mom?" Diego asked.

"Visiting your half-sister."

"Listen, nobody harms my guys. Those are the rules," Marcel retorted. Elena's temper flared up again. She placed her hand tenderly on his cheek.

"Marcel, I love you like you're my own son, but let me make myself crystal clear. We don't care about your rules and we don't need a bloody chaperone. Why are you having us followed?" Marcel led Damon and Elena away from the others.

"Come here. I get it. A show of force. You've made your point. Let it go? For me." Elena flexed her hand and Damon placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Very well, my boy. Why don't you show me what you've done with the place…"

"While you explain exactly what it is you've been up to in _my_ town," Damon added. Marcel paused only for a moment before smiling his wide grin.

"Follow me." He led them up a flight of stairs and they emerged onto a gallery overlooking the street. "Look at that skyline, huh? That there, that's progress. More hotels, more tourists, more fresh blood. And the humans? I taught them to look the other way."

"And what of the witches? In my time, they were a force to be reckoned with, and now they live in fear. How do you know when they're using magic?"

"Maybe I got a secret weapon, an ace up my sleeve. Something that gives me complete control over all the magic in this town."

"Hm. Is that a fact?"

"Might be. Maybe I'm just bluffing." Marcel put something in his mouth that sizzled slightly.

"You take vervain?"

"Burns like a bitch, but I figure I should limit the number of things I'm vulnerable to. Don't be mad about that chaperone thing, Elena. I've told my guys to look out for you, that's all. That's what we do here. Look out for each other." Marcel then spotted a woman walking down the street below. "New blood." Damon recognized the woman from earlier at the bar.

"Bartender, walking alone at night."

"She's either brave or unbelievably stupid," Elena added.

"Let's see: brave, I let her live; dumb, she's dessert." They smiled. Marcel hopped the gallery's wrought-iron railing down onto the sidewalk below. The woman swiveled around at the sound of him landing behind her. "You know, it's not safe here alone."

"You know, I have a black belt in karate." Marcel chuckled. Above on the gallery, Damon and Elena sensed Stefan behind.

"Evening, brother," Damon greeted.

"Damon, Elena. I think you need to come with me." Their interest piqued they left for the cemetery.

"You know you're famous in this town?" Sophie asked Damon when he arrived. "Witches tell bedtime stories about the powerful Strigoi king, Hades. We know Marcel was nothing but an orphaned street rat, abandoned by his father, Ares, until you made him what he is. And now he's out of control. He does what he wants, he kills who he wants. I'm gonna stop him, and you're gonna help me."

"And why should I?" Damon asked. "I happen to like Marcel and I would receive so much grief from Katherine for hurting her little boy."

"What?" Sophie asked.

"Seriously?" Elena asked. "You guys really need to read a book on Greek myths sometime. Deimos, Phobos, and Eros are the sons of Ares and Aphrodite."

"But you're her husband," Sophie pointed to Stefan.

"Katherine is a goddess of love. I accept that it is in her nature to be with others as long as she always returns to me. Tell them."

"My sister gave her life to perform a spell she needed to confirm a pregnancy. Your pregnancy, Elena."

"Excuse me?" Elena asked.

"You're pregnant. You've felt it haven't you? The reason for being so tired. It was always rumored before the Imperials were sent away that Persephone was with child and that while she slept so would her child. Because of Jane-Anne's sacrifice, the lives of you and your baby are now controlled by us. We can keep them save. Or we can kill them. If you don't help us take down Marcel, so help me, you won't live long enough to see your first maternity dress."

"What?" Elena asked, shocked.

"Enough of this. If you want Marcel dead, he's dead. I'll do it myself," Stefan replied.

"No. We can't, not yet. We have a clear plan that we need to follow, and there are rules." Stefan looked at Damon, awaiting his reaction, but the man still appeared to be processing that his wife was pregnant. He then turned angry. The fire lighting up the room began to grow hotter and turn black.

"How dare you…how dare you command me, threaten me and my wife. Leave us! We must have time to consider." The witches then left the mausoleum.

"Damon," Elena began. Damon turned to Stefan.

"I will not be manipulated."

"So they're manipulating you. So what?" Stefan replied.

"I'm gonna kill every last one of them."

"And then what?"

"Stefan, leave us for a moment," Elena interrupted. "I'd like to have a word with my husband."

"Very well," Stefan left the mausoleum. Damon punched the wall.

"Love. Look at me." She tipped his head toward her and placed his bruised hand on her stomach.

"For so long we have tried, only for it to end up like this. This was not how I envisioned it," Damon whispered. Elena rested her head against Damon's.

"I know. It's not manipulation if you manipulate them back. Play along. This doesn't have to be a war between Marcel and the witches. You know as well as I in every war there's always another player in the game, someone pulling everyone else's strings."

"What about Katherine?"

"You know as well as I that Stefan knew about Katherine's children with Ares way before our battle with the other Imperials. She promised him that although she may have dalliances with other men, they were only temporary and that on the River Styx she would always return to him. And that the only children she'd ever consider hers were those that were theirs."

"She cares deeply for Deimos."

"That is true, but I question whether she would go against Stefan because of that. She wouldn't want to incur his wrath. And she loves him more than I've ever seen her love another. Besides her relationship with Ares wasn't always what it was made out to be."

"What do you mean?" Elena hesitated. "Elena?"

"Ares raped her. She wanted to abort the children, but I convinced her not to. I told her she'd regret it forever if she did. The gift of children among Strigoi is sacred. It should never be sacrificed. She confessed to Stefan about what happened and they spun this story of him accepting her nature and all that crap, but she's always been faithful to your brother. I know Stefan isn't fond of his step-children, but he let that go when Zeus threatened to kill them. The man…he was so cruel, wanting to take them from Katherine. You stepped in, as the King of the Strigoi, and you took those children in as your own because it was the only way to protect them...if they were of your House. You raised Deimos as your own and gave the others to Sage. You showed great kindness when you could have been ambivalent and done nothing. You gave Katherine the opportunity to see her children grow up. You know that. And in regards to Stefan and Katherine…they've weathered every storm that's come their way just as we have. They'll get through this too. How about this? How about you let me deal with my sister. I can manage her. I've done it for this long."

"I may do things that you may not like."

"And what would be your reasoning for doing them?"

"To protect you and our family." Elena smiled.

"The bond of family… it blesses us with an immeasurable power. But we also must accept what comes with it. It gives us a responsibility to love without condition, without apology. We can never waver from the power of that bond, even if it's tested. It nourishes us, gives us strength. Without that power, we are nothing. So trust me when I say don't let me stand in your way. You will always have my support and my love. After all these centuries, nothing could tear us down."

"This town was my home once, and in my absence, Marcel has taken everything from me. Power, loyalty, family. I made him in my image, and he has bettered me. I want it all back. I am the king. Tell Sophie Deveraux we have a deal."

"What's your first move?"

"First things first. Marcel needs to learn his place in the order of things. As long as we exist, he is still a Servant. He hasn't been granted the abilities of an Imperial yet."

"Thank you, Stefan," Elena smirked.

"Yes. The unanimous vote. Things might have turned out differently if he had voted yes like the rest of us. Come. Let's pay him a visit."

Meanwhile, Sophie and Agnes were discussing their situation.

"Marcel and his vampires are out of control. Something had to be done," said Sophie.

"And the solution is to bring in more Strigoi?" Agnes asked.

"These aren't just any Strigoi, Agnes. They're Imperials."

"What makes you think you can control the King?"

"She can't," Stefan asked, appearing beside a wall. "I'm not entirely certain that I can, either. But now that your coven has drawn his ire, I have a question: What prevents my brother from murdering you instead of cooperating?"

"The spell my sister performed, the one that got her killed? It didn't just confirm the pregnancy. It linked me to Elena. So anything that happens to me, happens to her, which means her life is in my hands. If I have to hurt Elena – or worse – to ensure that I have your attention, I will."

"You would dare threaten an Imperial?"

"I have nothing to lose."

"That won't be necessary," said Damon, walking in the room. "We agree to your terms and we will bring proof of our intent to help you: the body of your fallen friend."

"Jane-Anne."

"Stefan will bring her to you, but listen to me carefully. This deal hinges on my wife and my child remaining unharmed or else I'll slaughter you all like the livestock you are."

"And I will help him," Stefan added before leaving with his brother.

Damon and Elena returned to Marcel's courtyard party where everyone was still dancing and drinking.

"Hey, guys. Where'd you run off to?" Marcel asked.

"You mean your minions aren't still documenting our every move?" Elena asked.

"Someone put you in a mood. What can I do?"

"What you can do is you can tell me what this thing is you have with the witches," Damon replied.

"Oh, we're back to that?"

"Yeah, we're back to that."

"You know I owe you everything I got, but I'm afraid I have to draw the line on this one. This is my business. I control the witches in my town. Let's just leave it at that."

"Your town?"

"Damn straight."

"That's funny, because when I left, I recall you still being of Servant status. Now look at you. Acting like an Imperial. Master of your domain. Prince of the city." The music stopped and the crowd watched them. "I'd like to know how."

"Why? Jealous? Hey, man, I get it. Three hundred years ago, you helped build a backwater penal colony into something. You started it, but then you left. Actually, you ran from it. I saw it through. Look around. Strigoi rule this city now just like we did Greece. We don't have to live in the shadows like rats. The locals know their place. They look the other way. I got rid of the lycans. I even found a way to shut down the witches. The blood never stops flowing and the party never ends. You wanna pass on through? You wanna stay a while? Great. What's mine is yours, but it is mine. My home, my family, my rules."

"And if someone breaks those rules?"

"They die. Mercy is for the weak. You taught me that, too. And I'm not the prince of the Quarter, friend. I'm the king! Show me some respect."

Damon took this all in for a few moment, smiled, and then flashed in a black puff of smoke toward Thierry, also known as Eros, one of Aphrodite's children. He bit the man in the neck and dropped him.

"Your brother will be joining the souls in the Underworld by the weekend which means I've broken one of your rules. And yet I cannot be killed. I am an Imperial. We are immortal. Who has the power now, friend?" Elena chuckled and the two Imperials soon left, their plan underway.

Later, Marcel was talking on his cell phone.

"You find him and then you call me. Don't worry. I know how to deal with Damon."

"Is that so?" Stefan asked.

"Poseidon." The Half-Bloods who were sitting around the bar rose. "Stop. I got it. It's all good."

"It's time we have a little chat."

"If you wanna talk, Stefan, talk. I got things to do."

"You have become quite confident over the last century, haven't you?"

"Me? I'd say it's you, Elena, and your brother who got cocky, coming to my town like you own the place."

"Well, we did own the place once. We were quite happy here as I recall. But we could never control those pesky witches of the French Quarter. How are you doing it?"

"Your brother asked me the same question. I gave him the same answer: it's my business. Everything in the Quarter is my business. Damon and Elena come into town all nice and friendly, then they start looking down at what I've done like it's some cheap knock-off, then they get pissed off, and he bites my brother."

"Well, I do apologize for Damon's poor behavior. I assume you know that that bite will kill your brother within a matter of days. Of course, Damon's blood would cure him."

"What?"

"Yes, the blood of the King of the Underworld will remove any trace of his venom. Quite a handy little thing when one needs leverage in negotiation."

"What kind of negotiations are we talking about?"

"Return the body of the witch Jane-Anne. Allow her people to put her to rest."

"What do you care about the witches?"

"Well, that's my business, now, isn't it?"

After returning Jane-Anne's body, Stefan met Elena in a huge house. Elena began to pull a blanket from a crib and coughed due to the dust.

"You alright?" he asked.

"Just dust. This place is just about as ancient as we are."

"Yes. It should serve our purposes. It's a sanctuary from our business in the Quarter." Stefan felt Damon behind him. "Is it done?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. Your underhanded deal worked quite well. Marcel was only too happy to accept my blood even as he accepted my heartfelt apologies. Thierry lives and we remain welcome guests in the French Quarter. The only concern now is this coven of impudent witches."

"I believe them to be honorable. Although they haven't been entirely forthcoming. Marcel obviously has something that they need. They don't want him dead. And there must be a reason why. In addition to the secret weapon he uses to control the witches, Marcel has a small army of Strigoi." Stefan walked around a desk and pulled out a dagger. "You need to make him believe he has the upper hand, brother."

"Stefan, what are you doing?" Elena asked.

"Marcel doesn't trust any of us. We make him nervous. We threaten the hold he has over this town. Let's give him some leverage."

"You want me to dagger you?" Damon asked, shocked. "You've already been asleep for so long, brother."

"I have faith. You will retrieve me and remove the dagger from me. During my sleep, I will unleash my psychic abilities. I will see what I can discover in my non-corporeal form. Perhaps I will find this weapon of his." Damon took the silver dagger, the one item that could render an Imperial incapacitated, and stabbed his brother with it.

Elena and Damon looked over Stefan's body and then looked at each other before sighing simultaneously, "Katherine's going to be pissed."


	3. It Ain't Over

At the Abattoir, Marcel was boasting to Damon his methods for providing fresh blood for his Half-Blood and Strigoi.

"The city of New Orleans... people of all stripes and flavors from all over the country come here to party on our streets. Some are just looking for fun... some are looking for something a little darker, more dangerous. So, we invite them into my home and we give it to them. Then, at the stroke of midnight, everything changes, and it's time to feed." Marcel led Damon around a balcony overlooking the party. They watched as Marcel's crew fed ravenously on the humans who screamed in terror. "This is how I keep my guys happy: the occasional, all-you-can-eat buffet. The Half-Bloods love it. I've got 'em working hard, trying to earn one of these daylight rings. They deserve to blow off a little steam. Now, my Inner Circle, the trusted few Strigoi and Half-Bloods. They just like to party." Damon noticed a crest of some sort engraved on the stonewall below. It included a narcissus flower and a scepter.

"It's quite the operation," Damon replied. "Tell me. What about the unsuspecting victims? Seems like a lot of graves to dig."

"Can't kill 'em all. Too many folks go missing, tourism drops. So, we heal them with a little blood, erase their memory, send them on their way – no muss, no fuss."

"I'm impressed."

"Nothing I didn't learn from you back in the day." Thierry, Marcel's brother, approached the two.

"Marcel."

"'Sup, brother?"

"Six of our guys were killed in a bar outside of the Quarter. Half-Bloods. No one saw who." While Marcel received the news, Damon looked away. On an abandoned road, Katherine was driving a red convertible. She checked herself in the rearview mirror, wiped a drop of blood off her cheek, smiled, and continued driving into the New Orleans city limits. A few minutes later, she parked in front of the Imperial mansion, leaving a message on her phone as she got out of her car. Elena, inside, heard something and walked down the stairs.

"Stefan, if not answering your phone is your idea of a joke, then well done. I'm here, and I'm worried. Now pick up before I kick in your bloody door." Katherine walked up the front steps and opened the door. "Sister."

"Kat."

"Where's Stefan?"

"Um, long gone."

"What do you mean 'long gone'?"

"Long gone as in not here."

"Stefan told me that he promised his brother that he'd stay here until this whole matter was resolved and he doesn't break promises. Which means your husband has done something dastardly and Damon-like. Damon! Get out here and tell me what you've done with my husband, you back-stabbing, narcissistic…" Damon opened a pair of doors and entered the room.

"Enough with all the shouting," he ordered. "I should have known. I assume the six dead Half-Blood were your doing?"

"They were very rude," Katherine recalled impaling them violently with a pool stick. "Trying to victimize a poor, innocent girl just trying to find her way to the Quarter. So sorry, were they friends of yours? Oh, that's right, you don't have any friends."

"Enough, you two," Elena mediated.

"I do have friends," Damon replied. "I have Elena and I have Marcel. You remember him, don't you? Yes, of course you do. He fancies himself the King of the Quarter now and he has these rules about killing Strigoi. It'll be fun to see what sort of punishment he comes up with for his own mother."

"I don't care about Marcel or his rules. Stefan doesn't break his promises. What did you do to him?"

"Perhaps he took a vacation... or is taking a long autumn nap upstairs. Well, go on. Take a look around. You remember this house as well as I."

"I remember everything. I remember how the drunken fool of a governor hid away all of our sins in exchange for gold. I remember the lavish parties the governor threw, as if to impress you."

_300 years ago_

Upstairs in the Governor's mansion, Damon was kissing Elena while further down the hall Stefan was feeding from some women.

"Damon, he's doing it again. He's gone too far."

"Stefan, there is no hope for you, is there?" Damon asked. Katherine joined them, with a human in tow.

"Are we interrupting?"

"Yes," Stefan replied while Damon said, "No."

"Damon. I like this human. Please let me turn him." Stefan chuckles.

"Katherine, the governor has graciously agreed to hide a lot of our... indiscretions. It would not do to turn his son into one of us."

"Not one of us," Stefan scoffed. "A bloody Half-Blood. Disgusting."

"Sister, you know making Half-Bloods is beneath us Imperials. Leave that to the Servants."

"Please, Damon. For me."

"It's not going to happen, Katherine," Stefan growled. "If we turned every man you dropped your knickers for, then human beings would cease to exist and we'd have no bloody food."

"I'm a goddess of love. It's in my nature to share my love with others."

"How dare you, sir!" the human yelled. "You would do well to treat…" Stefan grabbed the human by the neck and forcibly walked him down the hallway.

"Brother," Damon warned.

"Stefan, stop!" Elena yelled.

"No!" Katherine yelled as he ignored them all and threw the boy of the balcony, where he fell several stories and died instantly.

_Present Day_

"You and I both know that your dalliance with that human…" Damon began.

"That's not the point!" Katherine yelled. "Where is Stefan?" Damon's phone began to buzz. He checked it and moved to leave. "Where are you going?"

"It appears the night is not quite over, yet. I'm off for another drink with Marcel."

"Stefan told me about your plan to take apart Marcel's empire piece by piece. I don't remember it involving you two drinking New Orleans dry together," Katherine growled.

"I know you don't have many friends, Katherine, but what some friends do when they get together is they drink. And when they drink, they tell secrets. Marcel has somehow found a way to control the entirety of the witches in the Quarter, and I aim to uncover the 'how' so I might take it for myself. Finding Stefan didn't make my to-do list today." Damon turned and walked to the door, but paused before leaving. "Oh and welcome home." The door shut behind him and Katherine contemplated what he said. She looked up to Elena sitting on the landing above.

"I'm going to search this house inch by inch until I find what your husband has done with mine. You're helping."

After an unsuccessful search, Katherine paid a visit to Rousseau's. Some hanging pots started moving behind Sophie as though a wind had passed through them.

"Seriously, Marcel?" Sophie asked. "Trying to scare me? I had nothing to do with the attack on your guys last night!" She walked toward the pots slowly, then grabbed a knife, which she lifted in time for Katherine to appear and grab her raised, knife-wielding arm.

"Hello, Sophie. We need to talk."

Later, they walked among the burial vaults in the cemetery.

"So, if I had to guess, Stefan irritated my brother-in-law and was met with a dagger in his chest. It's a magical object. You're a witch. Do a locator spell, locate the dagger, locate Stefan."

"I can't use magic. It's punishable by death – Marcel's rules."

"My son? What do you think I'm going to do to you if you don't give me what I want?"

"Not much. I've been linked, so anything you do to me, you do to your sister."

"Luckily for you, I care about her, otherwise I'd break your neck right here. How did my son get so bloody powerful? He wasn't like this when I left all those years ago."

"Marcel has a way to tell whenever there's magic done in the Quarter. The 'how' isn't relevant."

"I'll tell you what's not bloody relevant – a coven of witches who can't do magic. Here's an idea. Move."

"We practice ancestral magic. This cemetery is filled with the remains of our witch ancestors. Without access to them, we're powerless. If we run, we're leaving our legacy behind – our home, our family."

"I can't believe you were foolish enough to believe that Damon would go against Marcel, when everyone knows that they have a history."

"I'm aware they have a bond."

"You don't understand, little girl. Damon loved my boy like a son. In the era of Antiquity, the God of Lightning, Zeus, planned on killing my three children that were born of his bastard son, Ares. Ares also abandoned the children after beating them within an inch of their life. Damon, the leader of the Strigoi, stopped them and took my children to the Underworld to live with my sister. Damon adopted Marcel as his own while my other two sons were adopted by Hecate. Damon saw himself in the boy. He remembered how his father used to beat him. And that is why your plan will fail. All you've done is bring back together two long-lost souls. Without Stefan between them, who knows what they'll do." Katherine walked off while Sophie absorbed her words.

At Rousseau's, Damon watched as Marcel looked at the bartender from the other night.

"In pursuit of the bartender from Rousseau's, I see," he said.

"She's a work in progress."

"And yet here you are, pining over her when you should be eating her for lunch. Oh, she must be special."

"Business first. The coroner called. He's got my number in case any dead tourists show up."

"Let me guess – dead tourists with a stamp on the hand and Strigoi blood in their veins?"

"It happens. Someone takes a drunken tumble off a balcony, or into the Mississippi... and today I got two of them to deal with." Damon rose when he heard Cami gathering her things.

"Excuse me. What's that you're studying?"

"Abnormal psychology."

"Abnormal psychology, well. Perhaps you could help me diagnose my friend over here. He's been a little bit depressed, can't keep his mind off a girl. He tells me she's a queen, fit for a king. I think he should cut his losses and move on. What's your professional opinion?"

"Be a nice guy, and maybe the opportunity will present itself some day."

"How about tonight, nine o'clock? I'll meet you right here?" Marcel asked.

"I'll take it under consideration." She left.

"Mm, harsh."

"I daresay I've lost my touch. Or you've lost yours." They smiled at each other, sipping their drinks. They later walked into a parking garage.

"You take me to the nicest places," said Damon. Thierry and Diego opened the doors of a van. Two people were lying inside it.

"Welcome to the land of the newly dead. I won't waste your time," said Marcel before turning to Thierry. "I trust you filled them in?"

"To be honest, not much in the way of potential here."

"Yeah, well, I just lost six Half-Bloods. I got holes to fill. I'll keep this quick. That itch you feel? That's the need to feed coming on strong, a hunger for human blood. Drink it you're a Strigoi. Don't you die. Again. This time for good. Right here in a body bag." Marcel turned to Damon. "Hey, what do you think, cute dorky girl or gay best friend?"

"Dealer's choice."

"Dealer's choice, okay." Marcel showed them a coin. "Whoever picks up this coin gets to live forever. The other one dies." He laid the coin between them. "Go!" Josh looked at Tina and she immediately grabbed the coin.

"Damn girl!" Marcel laughed.

"How could you?" Josh asked.

"Get over it, Josh. It's not like I had a choice. You would've done the same thing, but you're such a little…" Marcel killed Tina by breaking her neck.

"Let her die in cold storage. Got a thing about people who betray their own friends. C'mon. Let's go for a ride." Katherine watched from a balcony above as Damon loaded Josh into Marcel's SUV. Before she knew it, Marcel joined her on the balcony.

"Hello, Mother. Last time I saw you, Royal Street was burning and you all were fleeing from the city."

"I thought you were dead."

"You never looked back to find out. Why are you here?"

"Stefan. I think Damon has done something to him."

"Stop. Stop right there. If there is one thing I learned, it's don't get in the middle of Imperial feuding. Doesn't end well." Katherine scoffed.

"Even after all you've achieved, you're still scared of him."

"I'm not scared of anyone."

"If I find out you know where your step-father is, you needn't fear Damon – I'll kill you myself."

"Nostalgia's a blast and all, but I can't help you. It was nice seeing you, though. Good luck finding what you're looking for." He jumped off the balcony.

Later in a bar in the Quarter, Marcel spotted Damon.

"I know that face. Woman trouble," said Damon.

"You're a dick, you know that? Why didn't you tell me my mother was back in town?"

"Well, I thought it would be more amusing for you to find out for yourself."

"Is there anything else that I need to know?"

"Only that she's grown considerably more insane."

"Or maybe that it was her who killed my guys?"

"Doubtful. I can't imagine she'd be interested." Marcel's phone rang and he answered it. Damon listened in with his vampire hearing.

"Yeah?"

"Just got a tip – someone saw a lycan in Bienville Park."

"Get a couple Half-Bloods to run it down. Bring me back its head." He hung up.

"Well, I guess that solves the mystery of the murdered riffraff. At least Katherine's in the clear," said Damon.

"About that. I don't have time for family drama. You're my guest – keep everyone with you in line."

"I'd have a greater chance of draining the Mississippi with a straw!" Damon responded as Marcel left.

At Bienville Park, Elena was working on cleaning up the mess Katherine had made in her wake. She created an illusion of a lycan running in the park and noticed Half-Bloods attempting to chase it, but every time they got close, the wolf sped up.

"Is this your doing? Creating an illusion for my friends to chase? Has this all been a game to you?" a Half-Blood asked, approaching Elena. "Dumb move. You're coming with me."

"I really don't like it when Half-Bloods tell me what to do." She inserted her hand in the man's chest and ripped his heart out. Two more Half-Bloods appeared. Katherine showed up, snapped the neck of one Half-Blood, and ripped the heart out of the back of the other.

"Now, that is no way to treat a pregnant lady. I do hate bad manners," she said.

Later at the Imperial Mansion, Damon threw a final body onto a small pile in the front courtyard while he berated Katherine and Elena for their behavior.

"This is why I told you never to leave the house without me. I had a plan, and your little nighttime stroll put it all in peril!" Katherine started walking toward the pile of bodies. One of them was still alive. "Leave him! You've done enough, don't you think? Leaving a trail of bodies like a road map to my door?"

"If I hadn't overheard this lot bragging about lycan heads, everyone here would be screwed. And don't yell at Elena. She was just trying to clean up the mess I made at that bar. Now that I think about it, the lycan angle was brilliant. And don't give me that crap about having a plan. You've had all the time in the world to execute a plan, and no one's seen you do a damn thing!"

"I have done everything. Let me spell it out for you, shall I? From the day I arrived, Marcel hasn't trusted me. From Day One, he's had his Strigoi ingest toxic vervain which, as you know protects them from my mind control. I needed a spy, someone on the inside with me who Marcel would never suspect. So, I created a Day Zero and got there first. Marcel had just lost six vampires, thanks to your little murder spree, and he needed new recruits. So, I made the new one mine, before he'd had even a drop of vervain. But we all know the real way to a man is through his heart, so... I compelled a woman he's shown an interest in." Damon then grabbed the vampire that was still alive from the pile. "And this one – I'm gonna drain him of vervain, compel him to believe his mates found religion and moved to Utah, so that he can explain to Marcel why he lost three more Strigoi tonight." He dragged the man into the house. Elena and Katherine followed him inside. "Does anyone have any more questions? No? Good." Damon sighed and sat down on the stairs. He looked at Elena and she nodded. "You really want to know where Stefan is?"

"Yes," Katherine replied.

"I gave Stefan to Marcel."

"WHAT!"

"Marcel was nervous. It's bad enough two Imperials returned to town, but three? His crew was getting antsy. So Stefan had an idea." Katherine put it all together

"To dagger himself?"

"We have a plan, Kat," Elena replied. "Gain Marcel's trust, dismantle his empire."

"I am executing that plan the only way I know how. If you don't like it, there's the door. See if I care."

Later at a bar in the Quarter, Marcel brought a bottle of wine to a table and sat with Cami.

"I sent everyone home for the night. I am your humble host," said Marcel.

"Oh...okay. Extra points for flair."

"And the night's just started. What made you decide to come?"

"Everyone deserves a chance." Suddenly the doors of the restaurant swung wide open and Katherine burst inside.

"You lied to me. Where's Stefan?" she demanded.

"Hello to you, too. Cami, my mother, Katherine, – Mother, Cami."

"I see you still have a thing for blondes." Katherine grabbed Marcel by the neck and sped him across the room, slamming him against the wall. "Tell me where Stefan is."

"What the hell is going on?" Cami asked.

"Tell me where he is or I will kill you!"

"No, you won't." Slowly, Katherine backed off, releasing him.

"Perhaps you're right." After a moment's silence, Katherine sped over to Cami and pinned her by the throat against the wall. "But I will kill her."

"Let her go. You won. I'll take you to see Stefan." Katherine waited another moment, then released Cami, who gasped for air.

"What the hell are you people?" Cami asked as Marcel gently took her by the shoulders.

"Shh. It's okay," he compelled. "Go home, forget all this, and just know that I will make it up to you. I promise." Marcel then turned to Katherine. "You wanna see Stefan? Fine. Follow me." Katherine followed him to an attic. She saw Stefan's coffin and moved to enter the room, but couldn't. The room was magically spelled.

"Invite me in."

"Gotta ask the lady of the house. Davina, come on out, sweetheart. Invite her in."

"Come in," said the young witch standing by Marcel's side. Katherine entered, strode over to Stefan's coffin and opened it to find Stefan inside. She grabbed the dagger and started to pull it out.

"I wouldn't do that," said Davina. Katherine, magically compelled, shoved the dagger back in.

"Who the hell are you?" Katherine asked.

"Davina. She's an Old One, isn't she?" the young witch asked Marcel.

"Yeah. Katherine is an Imperial, which means she can't be killed."

"She doesn't seem very nice."

"She can be...but she hasn't been very nice to me tonight."

"Then I'm afraid it's time for you to leave." Without moving a muscle, Davina magically propelled Katherine across the room, slamming her against walls several times before sending her through a door, which shut behind her. The following morning, Katherine woke in a bed at Marcel's home.

"Welcome back, Katherine. You were out for quite a while."

"Where am I? How'd I get here?"

"You upset Davina. I'm glad you two finally got to meet. Now you know what you're dealing with."

"Is this my old room?"

"Oh, it's mine now. Just like this town is mine, Davina's mine, and Stefan is mine until I feel like giving him back. What was once yours, what was once Damon's – it's now mine." He turned and walked toward the door, turning back to Katherine to say one last thing. "And don't ever touch Cami again."

At the Imperial Mansion, Damon entered Elena's room while she was still sleeping. He watched her for a moment.

"I'm awake," she said. "I could barely sleep all night. This house is like a freaking swamp sauna." She sat up in bed while Damon stared out the window.

"Do you think we did the right thing…with Stefan?"

"I think we did the best we could under the circumstances we were in. Marcel had you backed into a corner and Katherine had done the same to me. That's why I let a rumor spread about the lycan."

"You and I are so alike. We've learned to fight when we're backed into a corner."

"Well, we're backed into a corner now."

"That we are. It's time to fight. I made Marcel everything that he is. I treated him like a son. And when Zeus chased us out of New Orleans a hundred years ago, we believed Marcel was dead. Before we went into our eternal slumber, we mourned him in our own way. Yet when we returned, I found not only had he survived, he had thrived. Instead of seeking us out, instead of sticking together as one, he made a choice to take everything we had built and make it his own. Now, he is living in our home, he is sleeping in our beds. That bloody symbol he stamps everywhere... it's my insignia. Not his. I want it all back, and if I have to push him out to get it, then that's exactly what I'll do. I'll have someone see to the air conditioning." He left the room and hurried down the stairs, only to meet Katherine as she entered the front door.

"You were right. The girl, Cami – she's the key. Marcel likes her, and because of that I got to see the secret weapon of his that you've been going on about."

"Well, don't stand on ceremony. What is it?"

"It's not a 'what', it's a 'who'. A girl, Davina. She can't be more than sixteen, and I have never felt power like that."

"A witch."

"She's not just any witch, she's something I've never seen before, something beyond powerful, and now because of you she has Stefan. Who knows what she could do to him."

"Where is she?" Katherine stopped to think, but then looked confounded.

"That clever bitch," she whispered. "I don't know."

"What's wrong?"

"She wiped my memory of the location. Marcel possesses a weapon bigger and more powerful than an Imperial, and you handed Stefan to him!"

"I did what I had to do! Marcel took our home!" Damon yelled, standing up from the floor.

"And our home is worthless without family. I am finding Stefan – whatever it takes. Are you going to help me?"

"Whatever it takes."


	4. Spectrum

"I cannot believe you disposed of those Half-Bloods without me. You know how I love to set things on fire," said Katherine.

"Was I supposed to leave them in the front yard to rot? Besides, they were my responsibility. They attacked my pregnant wife."

"Are we going to bicker all day or are you going to tell me what the plan is," Katherine sighed, sitting on the couch.

"Well, that depends on what plan you mean. My plan for global domination, or your plan to find love in a cruel, cruel world." Angry, Katherine grabbed a pencil from the desk beside her and threw it in Damon's direction. He caught it easily before it could impale his face.

"I found love. It's currently in a coffin," Katherine spat. "What is your plan to retrieve Stefan? You remember your brother, right, Damon? The one who's now in the possession of your mortal enemy."

"Okay. Well, firstly, Marcel is not my mortal enemy—he's my friend, albeit one who is unaware that I'm trying to sabotage his hold over the supernatural community of the French Quarter, but a friend nonetheless. And secondly, I daggered Stefan, at his behest, in order to gain Marcel's trust. If I had known he would place my brother in the hands of a particularly nasty teenaged witch, I certainly would have weighed my options a bit differently. And thirdly, Elena, please."

"And thirdly, the plan, as you have demanded, is for Damon to simply ask Marcel for Stefan back," Elena replied, leaning against the doorway.

"That's...that's not the whole plan, is it?"

"Please, Kat," Elena rolled her eyes. "You're talking about the master of diabolical schemes."

"And that's only Plan A. There's always a Plan B," Damon smirked.

"And what's Plan B?" Katherine asked.

"War."

Later at The Abattoir, Marcel's home which he stole from the Imperials, Marcel was getting fitted for a suit, accompanied by his brother and right hand man, Thierry.

"Damn, I do look good in a suit," said Marcel, looking at himself in a mirror. Thierry chuckled, then turned to the television, where photos of Tina McGreevy and Joshua Rosza, the tourists that Damon turned, flashed on the screen.

"My guy at the docks is gonna come forward as an eyewitness, saying he saw those two drunkenly fall into the Mississippi. They'll be dredging for weeks. No one will come looking around here."

"That's good, considering one's dead in a dumpster behind the county morgue and the other one is a vampire now. Anything else?"

"One thing. I sent four Half-Bloods to look into a lycan sighting in the Quarter. I haven't heard from them since."

"That makes ten dead Half-Bloods in the last week. You think the lycans are back in town trying to start some trouble?"

"Look, I know you and Damon are friends, but the fact is, since the Imperials showed up—"

"Oh, come now, Thierry," said Damon, walking into the room. "You're not still upset about that little, toxic bite I gave you, are you? I thought we were at bygones."

"I see you've given him free reign of your compound now, too," Thierry pouted.

"Yes. Well, seeing as my family and I lived here, built the place, in fact—"

"All right. Come on. You both know the drill," Marcel mediated. "Thierry's my brother, inner circle. Damon is my old-time friend. He's also a guest here. Peace, all right? All right. What you need, my brother?"

"I'm afraid Katherine is insisting I demand Stefan's return. She's quite worked up about it."

"I'll say."

"We're not gonna have the complete Imperial set walking around town, are we? Half our guys think Mom killed the Half-Bloods," said Thierry.

"Is that an accusation against an Imperial?" Damon threatened.

"Eh." Damon stormed over toward Thierry, who looked ready for a confrontation, but Marcel interceded.

"What did I say about peace?" Marcel glared at Thierry. He then turned to Damon. "Come on. Walk with me." Damon smiled smugly at Thierry as Marcel steered him out of the room. They walked out along the balcony of the building.

"Your brother lacks a sense of humor."

"He's a little overprotective, but loyal to a fault. He'd kill for me and die for me. Plus, he can play the trumpet like you would not believe. Maybe I'll see if he can play a little tonight at the party. You're coming, right?"

"How can I miss my chance to meet the city councilman as he accepts your obscene charitable donation?"

"Oh, he's a schmuck, but he lets us do our thing in exchange for certain community services, like keeping our fangs out of the locals. Listen, about your brother...I would love to help you out, but Thierry is right. My guys are on edge. They see the Imperials moving in, Strigoi dying, it makes them nervous. If I hand Stefan back now, it might give the wrong impression about who's really in charge here. You know what I mean?"

"You understand I had to ask." A few minutes later, Katherine was walking through the Quarter with Elena, talking on her phone while Damon was in the cellar of their mansion

"Damon, for the love of Mary Magdalene, how long does it take to ask a simple question?" Katherine asked.

"Much longer than you'd think, considering the answer was, as expected, 'no'. Marcel's brother, Thierry, is suspicious. He thinks you killed ten Half-Bloods."

"Well, that's a lie. I only killed eight. Maybe I better set my son straight."

"No, Katherine. Marcel is playing friendly. We can't kill the favorite son, or he'll catch onto us."

"So, war it is, then."

"Indeed. Do you know what to do with the witch?"

"We're on it."

"Good. You manage Sophie Deveraux. I'll take care of the next step." Damon hung up and turned to the Strigoi Joshua, who was minding Damon's Strigoi hostage. "I ordered you to drain him of blood. What's taking so long?"

"Sorry. I'm not, like, medieval torture expert guy." Damon grabbed a pitchfork and impaled the Strigoi with it. "What did he do to you, anyway?"

"It's not about what he did. It's about what he's going to do when we're done here, which is whatever I want him to, just like you. For example, drive this through his torso." Damon, having removed the pitchfork from the Strigoi, compelled Joshua and handed the weapon to him. Joshua immediately obeyed.

"That is crazy. I didn't want to do it, but I did it anyway."

"It's called mind compulsion. Strigoi can compel humans. Imperials, like my family, can also compel Strigoi, and no one can compel Imperials. You keeping up?" Joshua nodded. "Good. That is how a brand-new Half-Blood such as yourself is here doing my bidding with no one the wiser."

"But I never had my guts drained out of me."

"Yes. That, young Joshua, is because I got to you before you had even a drop of herbal vervain in your system. You see, it prevents compulsion. Marcel has had his whole crew taking it since I returned to town, and that is why our friend here needs to be bled dry of it, so I can compel him to follow my every command. And with my brother currently in captivity awaiting rescue, we can't afford to be gentle about it." Damon took back the pitchfork and ran it into the Half-Blood, twisting it in.

At Jardin Gris, Katherine and Elena were waiting outside the shop and turned to greet Sophie, who approached them from the sidewalk.

"I'm glad you could make it, Sophie. Stefan only lies daggered and rotting whilst you dilly-dally," Katherine retorted.

"You're lucky I came at all. What do you want?"

"I was attacked last night by Marcel's crew."

"Why?"

"You ever heard the saying that 'every flower has ears'? Well, just so you know, I'm totally tapped into the plants around here. I sent a rumor about that there were lycans running around in order to cover up Katherine's mess when she rolled into town. And a very special gardenia told me that the person who told Marcel and his boys about it was a witch. Watch and learn." Elena walked into the shop, Katherine and Sophie following her. Inside the shop, Katie, a witch, emerged from a back room with a box and saw Sophie.

"Hey, Soph."

"Hey, Katie." Katie then saw Elena and Katherine. Katherine was touching an item hanging in the shop.

"That's filled with marigold—great for attracting the opposite sex. It would look awesome on you."

"I very seriously doubt that," Katherine replied.

"Do you have any others, one with, say—I don't know—wolfsbane, perhaps?" Elena asked.

"Wolfsbane? Why would you want that?" Elena sped toward Katie and held her up by the neck.

"Please do not play dumb with me. It's so unattractive." Elena slammed her down on a table.

"Elena!" Sophie yelled.

"I suggest you answer my question honestly. I know you spilled your guts about lycans roaming the Quarter to Marcel's crew. I want to know specifically who you told and why you're working him! I suggest you answer my question honestly."

"Sophie," Katie choked.

"Just answer the question, Katie, please."

"Yes. I told someone, but you don't understand. I—I love him." Elena threw Katie down onto the floor violently. Katherine then took control and placed the heel of her stiletto directly over Katie's throat threateningly.

"And tell me, who is this vampire Romeo of yours? Shall I count to three?" Katherine asked.

After finding out some interesting information, Elena called Damon.

"Well?" he answered.

"I was right about the witch. Of course. Luckily, she's just a kid and she doesn't know anything about us and what we're up to. Do you want to hear the part that's gonna please you the most?"

"Do tell. I'm sitting on the edge of my seat."

"She's in love with someone in Marcel's inner circle. Guess who it is."

"Right-hand-man type, favors silly caps?"

"Two points for you. Thierry is fraternizing with the enemy."

"Well, that means he just unwittingly became the key to our entire plan."

"I told you you'd be pleased."

"Oh, to be young and in love in a city where witches and Strigoi are at war. How very tragic."

Later at the Imperial Mansion, Sophie, Elena, Katherine, and Damon were arguing behind a closed door.

"Are you out of your mind? No way," said Sophie.

"It's very simple. We need you to perform a teeny, tiny locator spell to help us find my brother-in-law," Elena explained.

"Witches who practice magic in this town get caught, and they get killed."

"Yes, about that. It seems you left out a crucial detail when we made our deal—Marcel's secret weapon, the way he knows when a witch is using magic," Damon began.

"Girl about yay high, cute as a button, anger issues," Katherine added.

"Davina?" Sophie asked in shock. "Where have you seen her?"

"I don't know. The little brat erased my memory right after she threw me out a window with her bloody mind."

"Let me cut to the chase. Davina has Stefan. You witches, I assume, want to get Davina away from Marcel. We don't know where she is. Ergo, we need magic," said Damon.

"Davina would sense it."

"Unless, of course, another witch—say Katie for example—was to perform much more powerful magic at the same time," said Elena. "That would create a smokescreen, concealing your very small spell from Davina."

"Katie doesn't deserve to die." Damon angrily slammed his hands on a table and stood up.

"Sophie Deveraux. You're in no position to be so principled. You can't win a war without a few strategic losses, no matter how regrettable they may be. How many times have the Strigoi been one step ahead, known something they shouldn't? Your sister, executed in the public square for practicing magic, who knew she'd be caught? Did she even attempt to flee?"

"She was caught hiding in a cargo hold of a freighter before it set sail down the Mississippi."

"And who, pray tell, of Marcel's valued inner circle manages his business at the docks?"

"Katie's boyfriend, Thierry."

Later in the day, Thierry was playing his trumpet in the courtyard of The Abattoir. Damon and Marcel watched from the balcony.

"You're right. He's good," said Damon.

"Right? Music man, I call him. Ladies love him, but he's spoken for. He knocks around with this pretty little witch, says he loves her, but I don't know."

"Your brother is fraternizing with the enemy, and you don't care?"

"Well, of course I care, but Thierry is a grown man. He makes his own choices, and I get some good intel. Besides, he's not gonna do anything to jeopardize what we're doing here. I mean, check this out—a Strigoi hosting a ritzy charity event. We have a community here. No one's gonna mess that up."

"Still...you don't want the witches to get too bold, given that a witch's tip about a lycan in town led to the disappearance of your Half-Bloods. I'm sure you've considered the possibility that it could've been a trap."

"Well, maybe I'll send a little message. Thierry! Take a team of Half-Bloods to the Cauldron tonight, do a little rousting...Oh, and Thierry? Make it nasty."

Meanwhile at Rousseau's, Katherine was talking to Cami at the bar.

"And so then I moved back here to be closer to my family because—let's face it—that's important, right, Camille?"

"Cami. I have to change this name tag. Drunk guys keep hitting on me in French. You sure you haven't been in here before? Your face looks so familiar."

"You must have seen me out and about. Aren't you dating Marcel Gerard? He's a pal of mine...sort of. I heard he had a crush on the blonde bartender at Rousseau's."

"I would hardly call it dating. He's wooing me...sort of. I don't know. I mean, he's very charming, which probably means I should run for the hills."

"I like you, Cami. Most girls have the unfortunate tendency of being whiny little twits."

"Thanks...I think."

"Hey, I'm supposed to go to this posh charity thing thrown by this philanthropist tonight. He's a bit of a Gatsby, throws a mean party. Any interest?" Cami smiled noncommittally, shrugging. Later in the night, Damon was sitting at a desk, perusing some papers when his phone started buzzing. He answered it.

"Katherine."

"Well, I believe I've made certain Marcel will be properly distracted tonight."

"Dare I ask?"

"Let's just say his attention will not be on us. I did my bit. What are you doing to ensure Stefan's safe return?"

"Currently, I'm preparing insurance against the tender-hearted."

"Meaning?"

"We need proper motivation for Katie to cast a powerful spell tonight. I'm creating that motivation. Marcel has ordered a rousting of the witches. And I, in turn, have arranged for things to go tragically wrong. I compelled one of Marcel's vampires to attack Katie and I'm sure her white knight, Thierry, will come to save the day. Marcel may not be concerned with Thierry's romantic entanglements...but there are other crimes which he'll be less inclined to so easily forgive...killing a Strigoi, for example. That would be unforgivable. If Katie hopes to save her one true love from Marcel's punishment, well, a rescue mission like that will require something positively magical. But then...what's worth dying for, if not love?"

That evening, Elena and Katherine arrived at Marcel's Masquerade Gala on Damon's arms. The atmosphere was dark, wild. Acrobats performed, dancers held exotic animals, and confetti fell, glittering upon the party guests.

"Well, this certainly is a fitting backdrop for tonight's events, I must say," said Damon. Cami then entered the party, wearing white angel's wings and a vintage white beaded dress. Katherine looked pleased, but Damon's smile faded.

"What's she doing here?" he asked.

"What better way to distract Marcel than to put his very human, new girl in a room chock full of Strigoi?" Katherine crossed the courtyard to greet Cami. "Hello, darling. You look precious." Marcel noticed Cami's arrival from a balcony above. Cami made eye contact with Damon and was surprised by Elena's appearance. "This sister my twin sister, Elena, and her husband, Damon."

"You guys clean up pretty well for yourselves."

"Well don't be fooled. I'm the devil in disguise," Damon smirked.

"You two chit-chat. I need booze." Katherine replied before leaving for the bar. "Scotch, please." Marcel approached Katherine at the bar and she sighed.

"You trying to be cute, inviting her here?"

"I think she's darling. I can tell you fancy her pure heart. Perhaps I'll feed it to you. You know better than to become involved with humans."

"Jealousy looks good on you, Mother."

"I'm beginning to think Katherine is a bit of a bitch," Cami murmured.

"It's as though she invented the term," Elena laughed. "Pardon us for a moment." Elena and Damon then left so Marcel could approach Cami. They joined Katherine across the courtyard.

"You really are a hideously evil little thing, aren't you?" Damon asked Katherine as he watched Cami and Marcel dance.

"Nonsense. They're perfect for each other. You wanted Marcel distracted—voilà." They then watched as Diego walked to Marcel and whispered something in his ear. "And I believe that's my cue to leave." Katherine then left. Marcel saw Thierry and looked at him, barely containing his anger. Damon smiled at the exchange between Marcel and Thierry. Cami's look of apprehension remained as Damon joined her.

"Are you all right?"

"He's got a temper, doesn't he? I guess this is the moment I remember I know better." She walked away. Josh walked up to Damon, standing slightly behind him. Damon reached into his coat's inner pocket, withdrew a folded piece of paper and handed it to him, who pocketed it and walked away. Damon watched the balcony as Josh appeared next to Marcel and handed him the paper.

"We found this at his girl's place." Marcel looked at it. It appeared to be a spell written out.

"Still my brother, huh? That's funny because it looks to me like that little witch of yours got her hands on a spell that I keep locked away."

"Marcel, I have never seen that."

"Shut up. What would you need with the recipe for making daylight rings? Unless maybe you and Katie were gonna go off and start a little kingdom of your own?"

"Marcel, no."

"Here's a lesson in friendship. Friends don't lie to me, they don't break my rules, and they do not steal what is mine. For the crime of murdering one of his own, I sentence the Servant Thierry to 100 years in the Garden."

"And it begins," Damon smirked. At the cemetery, Katherine arrived to see Sophie setting up a spell.

"You're doing the right thing. It's the only way to find Stefan," said Katherine.

"I'm doing what I have to do," said Sophie before she began chanting. Meanwhile, Thierry was led out of the party and onto the street where a small crowd of Strigoi watched Katie approach from down the street, chanting. Damon watched the events unfold from a window above.

"Like clockwork," she murmured, approaching Damon from behind. Katie began to incapacitate the Strigoi, but before she could take Marcel, Elena appeared in front of her and summoned a massive growth of vines which knocked Katie off her feet. Katie rose up, but before she could do anything, Damon appeared and he raised his hand up. A giant black dog with three heads, the mighty Cerberus, rose from the depths and snapped her up in his jowls before dragging her to the underworld. Sophie stopped her spell at the cemetery.

"Something's wrong. Katie's magic stopped. I can keep going."

"You can't. She'll sense it," said Katherine.

"No. I can find Davina. I just need another moment." Katherine grabbed the piece of paper Sophie was using and cast it aside.

"You may be willing to die to get your witch back, but my sister and my niece will die with you. Stefan would never forgive me and rescuing him would be for nothing. It's over. We failed."

At The Abattoir, the party was over and the courtyard was deserted. Damon and Marcel stood alone on a balcony and clinked their drinks against each other.

"How much did Cami see?" Marcel asked.

"She just saw an argument. It's nothing you can't fix. You really like her, don't you?"

"I like that she's not a part of any of this. Sometimes it's good to see the world the way the humans do."

"I am sorry about Thierry, you know? He was your brother. You trusted him."

"Obviously, my trust was misplaced."

"Doesn't make it easier."

"You saved me tonight. I guess I owe you one. You asked for your brother back. Seems like the least I can do."

Meanwhile, Elena was walking back home when she saw a wolf on the road leading to the Imperial Mansion. The wolf approached her and licked her hand.

"You're a lycan, aren't you? I bet you didn't know this, but I'm the Imperial who created your kind. Go on. Enjoy the rest of the night." Elena then sensed someone behind her. "Hello, Sabine."

"Elena."

"Our elder, Agnes, asked me to come."

"For what purpse?"

"I can find out if the baby is a boy or girl. If you want."

"I thought you couldn't to magic here."

"It's not magic. Just an old trick my grandmother taught me. Come on. You have to be a little curious."

After Damon compelled Cami to forget about Marcel's encounter with Thierry, he returned home to find a very upset Katherine, playing a scattering of notes on the piano lazily.

"Well, tonight was an epic failure," she mumbled.

"On the contrary. Tonight was a masterpiece."

"Are you mad? Katie died before Sophie could complete the spell."

"Oh, I'm well aware. I killed Katie."

"You what?"

"There's no way our little suicide witch wasn't gonna try and take out Marcel with her. I saved his life, and in doing so, I now have him exactly where I want him."

"Sophie trusted you. I trusted you."

"Wake up, Katherine! The witches are on no one's side but their own. This girl, Davina? That's all they want, and when they have her, what do you think happens then, a truce? Of course not. They will use Davina's power against all of us."

"Even if you're right, the plan was to find Stefan, and you've failed us."

"You always did lack faith. By protecting Marcel, I've cemented his trust, so much so that he's agreed to return Stefan to us. And when the time is right, when he has told me everything I need to know about Davina, I will have her for myself."

"I have all the faith in the world that you'll get what you want, Damon. You always do, no matter what it costs the rest of us." Katherine left the house and Damon passed the office doorway to see Elena typing on a laptop at a desk, having changed from her formal gown.

"Stefan will be returning to us."

"Congratulations. I guess being diabolical has its perks. Hey, I learned something today. I think it's a girl." Damon smiled, stroked Elena's hair, and kissed her forehead.


	5. Spitfire

_My family are the first Strigoi in all of history, the Imperials. Three hundred years ago, we helped build New Orleans. Now, we have returned to find the city has a new king, who rules with the aid of a powerful girl. They've taken possession of my brother, Stefan. A coven of witches want this girl for themselves. They seek to enlist my help, using my unborn child and wife as leverage, though I suspect they have ulterior motives. So I've made a plan of my own. I will free my brother and reclaim the city for my family. I will regain my throne. ~ Damon, the Imperial King of the Underworld_

"Over the course of my life, I've encountered no shortage of those who would presume to speak of good and evil," said Damon to Cami as he stared at a large painting in his mansion. "Such terms mean nothing. People do what is in their best interest, regardless of who gets hurt. Is it evil to take what one wants? To satisfy hunger, even if doing so will cause another suffering? What some would call evil, I believe to be an appropriate response in order to survive."

"No offense, but I'm not sure I follow why you've invited me here."

"Because I enjoy your company. You see, I returned to New Orleans to investigate a threat posed against my family. What I found was my wife in mortal danger and a young woman—a girl, really, one with vast potential—held in captivity by a tyrant. I want to help both of these women—protect one and free the other. So, I'm going to offer you a job, as my stenographer."

"Okay, what are we writing?"

"My memoirs, of course. Someone should know my story as everyone else has seemed to have gotten it so wrong. And it will give us time to discuss other riveting subjects, like your handsome suitor, Marcel."

"Excuse me? My private life is–"

"Your private life is, as it turns out, essential to my plans. You see, Marcel wants you. And, because of that, he will trust you, which serves me. The thing is, the French Quarter is on the verge of war. On the one side there's me, and on the other, Marcel. Along with a very powerful witch and an army of Strigoi."

"WHAT?" Damon zoomed over to her, pushed her against a wall, and compelled her.

"You're frightened. Don't be."

"I'm not scared anymore," said Cami, puzzled. "That's...amazing. How did you...?"

"It's called compulsion. It's a neat bit of Strigoi trickery. I'll tell you all about it. But first, let's talk a little more about Marcel."

Later in the day, Damon stopped by Rousseau's Bar.

"Hello, Cami."

"How is it that when you come up to me now, and no one else is around, I suddenly remember that you just told me you're a Strigoi, and you're mind-controlling me? And then you leave, and then I go back to thinking you're just some hot guy and money to burn on your sprawling memoir?"

"Because that's how compulsion works."

"Yeah, but what's happening? Is it hypnosis? Are my neurons being shut down somehow?"

"That's why I like you. Such the curious scholar. Let's talk about Marcel. You said you have a little information for me."

"He's bringing someone to the music festival tonight. A girl he's mentoring. Apparently she's going through a hard time. Rebelling against authority, anger issues, that sort of thing. I guess with my psych degree, he figured I could set her straight, but I said no."

"I'm going to go ahead and insist that you change your answer to 'yes.'"

"You're going to force me to do this, aren't you? Why even bother with politeness?"

"Because I like you. I like the way your mind works. Under different circumstances, I think we might be friends. However, I don't have the luxury of passing up tonight's opportunity. You see, in addition to being Marcel's rather potent secret weapon, this girl, Davina, is holding my brother captive. In other words…" Damon compelled Cami. "The girl needs your help. Call Marcel. Tell him you'd be happy to oblige."

When Damon returned to the mansion, Elena was sitting on the couch, flipping through a book, as she talked to Agnes. At the table, Katherine was typing on a laptop.

"I told you Agnes, I feel great!" said Elena.

"You are overdue for a checkup."

"What am I gonna do? Pop into the Quarter for a quick ultrasound? An Imperial escorted by a witch—nothing to see here!"

"A lot of women would kill to have a child. It strikes me as odd that you're not taking better care of yours," said Katherine.

"I know a doctor out in the bayou. Off the beaten path. Now, I took the liberty of making an appointment for you. Tonight, after-hours, just us. Marcel will never get word of it," said Agnes.

"Go, Elena," Damon said, walking into the room.

"But, Damon…" Damon sat down on the couch beside Elena and stroked her cheek.

"Go. For me? Please."

"Well, since you asked so nicely. Okay, fine. Bayou-baby-doctor it is." Agnes and Elena left the room and Damon turned to Katherine who was looking through satellite photos of the Quarter.

"Please, Katherine, tell me you're not still at it with the internet search," he groaned. "How does one begin, anyway? Just type in anonymous attic?'" He poured himself a bourbon.

"Someone has to find Stefan, even if I have to search every bloody attic in New Orleans."

"Like looking for a needle in a rather large pile of needles."

"I remember details about the attic Marcel took me to. There were shutters on the windows behind Stefan's coffin."

"Well, that should narrow it down immensely. Myself, I prefer actual strategy as opposed to mind-numbing labor. Marcel's delay in returning Stefan makes me suspect he's no longer in charge of the situation. If Davina's loyalty to Marcel is strained, perhaps the young witch will be open to discussing a new alliance."

"Unbelievable. Your power grabs are more important than rescuing your brother."

"I prefer to think of it as killing two birds with one stone. Rob Marcel of his secret weapon, bring Stefan home." Katherine smirked.

Later, a crowd of Half-Bloods were hanging out in small groups in a dark bar. Joshua approached Diego, who was feeding on a young woman.

"Hey, Diego!" Diego scowled and stopped feeding on the girl. As he wiped the blood from his mouth, he dropped the unconscious girl onto the floor before reluctantly turning toward Josh.

"What?"

"Uh, do you know any way to fast track the whole...getting a daylight ring thing?"

"You get a daylight ring when you get invited into the inner circle. For you, that may never happen."

"Yeah, but there's an opening, right? Now that Thierry's like...you know…"

"You shut up about Thierry, alright? He didn't deserve what he got. Marcel was just showing off because of Damon. Can't wait 'til his ancient-ass is outta here."

"You and me both," said Katherine, entering the bar.

"Look alive, boys. My mother has decided to grace us with her presence," said Diego walking toward Katherine.

"Mmm. I see you still haven't developed any manners, my boy. What if I told you I could help you out with your little Damon problem, in exchange for the tiniest bit of gossip?"

"Like what?"

"Like any good mother, I like to know what my children are up to. I want to know if Marcel is seeing anyone."

"You've seen him with the bartender."

"What, that plain-Jane that he carries on with? That will never last and he knows better than to consort with humans. There must be another girl in his harem." Diego shrugged. "Diego, I only want what's best for my son, your brother. Just satiate my appetite and then I can leave New Orleans and I'll be sure to take Damon and my sister with me, which, let's face it, would make your life a whole lot easier."

"Look, Mom, Marcel's got a full plate. If he's seeing some other hottie, she's somewhere in the Quarter, probably close by." Katherine smiled and nodded before kissing Diego on the cheek.

"Thank you, darling. You were always the good, loyal son." Diego smirked at receiving the praise.

As night descended upon the city of New Orleans, Agnes drove Elena up to a doctor's office in the bayou.

"This is the doctor's office?" Elena asked, skeptical.

"Dr. Paige is only this far out because Marcel's men kept terrorizing her patients. Go. She won't bite." Elena nervously left the car and walked toward the clinic. Agnes then called someone on her cell phone, believing to be out of earshot. "Send them in now and tell them to do it quickly." However, Agnes was wrong. Elena heard everything, but she stayed quiet. Something was going on. The witches were planning something and if they thought Elena was just some helpless little girl they had another thing coming.

At St. Anne's Church, a priest was cleaning up a very run-down looking church when Katherine entered.

"Church is closed. If you want your horror fix, go take a ghost tour," said the priest, briefly looking at Katherine before going back to what he was doing.

"I don't much care for ghosts. I am, however, fascinated by window shutters. I noticed the windows of your attic have shutters."

"Are you really interested in shutters?"

"I can assure you it's my current life obsession. What's your name?"

"Father Kieran. And you are?"

"Mildly curious." Father Kieran sighed deeply as Katherine noticed a red stain on the nearby wall. "What happened here?"

"St. Anne's used to be the heart of the neighborhood. It's been abandoned for a while now. Since the night of the massacre. Nine seminary students were killed...by one of their own. You're standing on blood."

"I'm not squeamish. Where's the attic?"

"Like I said, the church is closed." Katherine flashed in front of the man and compelled him.

"Where is the attic?"

"Past the sanctuary, up the stairs."

"Thank you. Now forget I was here." Katherine walked away. After a moment, Father Kieran shook his head as if shaking himself out of a daze. Upstairs, Katherine found the attic and opened the door. "I knew it." She tried to enter the room, but she couldn't. Davina somehow had magically revoked her invitation. In the doorway, she saw Stefan lying in his open coffin. His eyes opened and he looked toward her. Using his mental abilities, he spoke to Katherine in her head, using a memory of them going to an opera in New Orleans in the 1880s as a backdrop. They were both dressed in 19th century finery and standing in front of a horse and carriage. "What the hell?"

"Language, Katherine," said Stefan from behind her. Katherine turned around and saw Stefan smiling at her roguishly.

"Stefan!" She hugged him tightly. "What is all this?"

"You don't remember? We went to the opera house together. It's a memory that only you and I share. Also, I needed to know it wasn't another one of Davina's tricks."

"Well, how are you even awake?"

"Davina removed the dagger, unaware that doing so even once would negate the dagger's power. In a few hours, I shall be as good as new."

"So, pop me into the attic and we can find a way to get you out!"

"I'm afraid I'm not quite ready to leave yet, Katherine. This girl, Davina, she's...curious. Willful, too. Soon, I shall be able to speak to her, perhaps to even propose a truce of some kind. So, if we can end this war between the Strigoi and the witches, we'll be able to eliminate the threat to Elena and the baby. In the meantime, I need you to look after Elena. She is family. Swear to me, Katherine." He returned her back to reality where she stood in the doorway.

"I swear. She's my sister after all. No harm shall come to her," said Katherine before turning around to leave. She sent Elena a text. _Where are you?_ The Queen of the Underworld texted back with, _Bayou clinic with doctor. But something's going on._

At the clinic, Dr. Paige was giving Elena an ultrasound.

"Your baby's heart rate is perfect," the doctor smiled.

"I knew it," Elena smiled in return. "She's a tough one, like her mama." Dr. Paige chuckled and handed her a tissue to wipe the ultrasound gel off of her abdomen which she did. "We're pretty much done here, right?"

"Your blood pressure is a bit high. I've got something for it." Elena watched as she walked away to where Agnes was waiting in the next room. Suddenly, Elena heard a lycan howl loudly. _You're in danger._ Elena heard it call. Elena looked out the window and saw a car's headlights approaching which made her suspicious. Dr. Paige returned with her medication.

"You know, I'm actually not that good with pills."

"Neither am I, truth be told."

Dr. Paige set the medicine cup on the table and began to prepare something. A group of intimidating-looking men walked into the clinic and whispered something unintelligible to Agnes. Elena turned around to see Dr. Paige preparing a syringe, and the doctor lunged at her to inject her with it. Elena grabbed her arm and pushes it away from her, headbutted the doctor to disorient her, and then stabbed the syringe into her neck. When the men in the lobby saw what happened, they ran toward the door, but Elena managed to shut and lock it before they could enter. As they bust down the door, a huge tangle of vines overwhelmed them and the house exploded as a huge Venus flytrap emerged from the house and its vines threw the men across the forest.

Meanwhile at St. Anne's, Tim, a friend of Davina's, was playing the violin while Davina watched. Damon and Cami sat in the pews at the back of the church.

"The boy has a gift. You can't compel a person to play that good," said Damon.

"I know what you are. It's crazy to me, but at least it makes sense. But this...massacre...was just a pointless, brutal thing. In your life, have you ever heard of anything like that? A good man, an aspiring priest, just goes on a killing spree out of nowhere."

"I've seen quite a lot in my time. The world is a rather awful place. Best to meet it on its own terms."

"No. The world isn't awful. People aren't awful. They want to be good; something makes them bad. Something breaks them down, makes them snap. There are always signs, symptoms, before someone has a psychotic break. The guy who did this had none of them; he didn't drink, he didn't do drugs..."

"You're well-informed on the matter. You knew him, didn't you?"

"His name was Sean. He was my brother. My twin, actually. I can't sleep, I...dream, about what happened, and I hate it, and I hate that I couldn't help him."

"We all must stand alone against our demons."

"What if someday his demons become mine too?"

"I have some business I should attend to...but before I do–" Damon placed a hand on her shoulder and compelled her. "You should go, enjoy the music. Put this out of your mind." Cami then left the church.

On Dauphine Street, the music festival was well under way. Father Kieran walked down Dauphine Street when he saw Marcel walking around.

"Marcel!" he yelled.

"Father Kieran—welcome back. I wasn't sure when you'd be coming home."

"I can tell, judging by what's been going on in my church attic."

"I didn't think you'd mind. Lord knows I've done you a favor or two."

"I take it you know the Imperials have returned? Your mother, Aphrodite? I saw her earlier, snooping around the church, asking about the attic. She doesn't know I take vervain. You gotta problem on your hands."

"No disrespect, for the grieving process, for you and your church, but just so I know—are you here to help, or are you just going to drop in with criticism?"

"Never forget, Marcel, that you live in this city by the grace of those who know your secret and tolerate you."

"And this city thrives because of me and my people. Anytime that you need a reminder of that, just let me know."

"Marcel? Diego said he lost eyes on the girls," said Josh, having been tasked by Marcel to help the inner circle keep an eye on Davina and Cami.

"To be continued," said Marcel.

In the church, Damon approached Tim and Davina.

"You two are absolutely adorable! Warms my heart, it really does, but I do need a word with the young lady. So, Tim, go sit down, count to one-hundred-thousand," Damon compelled. He then turned to Davina. "I assume you know who I am so let's get right to it, shall we? Your current dilemma strikes me as a case of poor alliances. You're loyal to Marcel and yet he keeps you tucked away in an attic. Surely you prefer just a little bit more freedom. And yet Marcel keeps you prisoner."

"Marcel doesn't keeps me prisoner, he keeps me safe. He's my friend."

"Well, I've no doubt he is. For a girl caught in a war between witches and Strigoi, I might be a better friend. I would keep you safe. And I'd allow you your freedom. If Marcel could do that, why hasn't he done so already? And it does beg the question: If Marcel can't protect you, then what of those you care about?"

"If anyone tries to hurt anyone I care about, I'll kill them."

"Well, then. Sounds like you don't need Marcel at all. Perhaps you've suspected it all along. Your dear friend Marcel tricks you into doing his bidding. And all the while you rot in an attic, alone, while young Timothy moves on with his life." Davina stared intently at Damon, angry.

"You feel that? That's your blood starting to boil." Damon groaned as his blood hissed. Sweat started to drip from his forehead, so he composed himself and appeared in front of Tim in a puff of black smoke. He placed the boy in a headlock.

"Such a shame to lose him, just as you found him again. And I really did admire your skill with that violin."

"Don't you dare hurt him!"

"Oh, I hope I won't have to. But, then, that depends on you."

"Let him go now!"

"You should know I don't do well with demands. Unless they're from my wife." Davina thrust her open hand out and twisted it, using her magic to break the bones in Damon's leg. Unfortunately, it took only a moment for Damon to reset his bones and heal. "Impressive. But you don't want to fight me. Innocent people have a way of ending up dead. Your choice, little witch. Swear allegiance to me and the boy lives. Stand against me–"

The candles behind Davina flared as she got angrier. After a moment, she thrust both hands in front of her and shrieked. Her magic caused paper and books to be blown around by the wind and all the windows in the church to shatter. The glass shards flew backwards, and Damon and Tim were forcibly blown backwards toward the entrance. Even Davina was knocked down by the power of her magic and thrown onto the ground.

Meanwhile, Katherine quickly ran through a wooded area in the bayou and was shocked when she saw bodies on the ground, their throats ripped out.

Back at the church, Davina woke up.

"Tim!" she called. Above her, in the balcony, Damon was talking on the phone with Katherine.

"What do you mean, 'She's missing?'"

"What do you think I mean? There's blood and bodies everywhere, someone's ripped this lot to shreds, and it looks like my sister's work…well some of them."

"Keep looking. I'm on my way." Damon pulled Tim up to his feet.

"Please. Don't hurt me," said the boy.

"It wasn't my intent to. But, sadly, my patience has run out. My Elena needs me." Damon grabbed Tim and threw him off the balcony onto the floor below. He spotted Tim's violin on the floor, and smiled as he threw it over as well before walking away. Some time later, Tim lay on the floor, surrounded by broken glass. He was severely injured, and his breathing was shallow. Davina found him lying on the floor.

"Tim! Oh no. No please! I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you!"

"One of the tragic consequences of war," said Damon. "Innocent bystanders. What terrible guilt you'll have to live with, young Timothy's blood on your hands."

"Get away from him!"

"No, no, let's not be hasty. After all, I can heal him. All you have to do is ask."

"Please!"

"For you, Davina, with pleasure." Damon bit his wrist and fed his blood to Tim. After a moment, Tim pulled away and sighed in relief. Damon. tilted his head toward him and compelled him. "You will forget everything that happened after the concert, including the fact that you saw Davina."

"What? No!" Davina argued.

"If he remembers seeing you, he might come looking. If the witches learn of him, if they know you have a weakness, then poor Tim might end up as leverage in an awful scheme to control you. Again." Damon pulled Tim up to his feet and compelled him again. "Take your violin case with you. You'll remember losing the instrument backstage after the performance. You really should be more careful." Tim picked up his violin case and left. "All fixed! Now you owe me a favor."

Davina frowned and cried silently as she picked up Tim's smashed violin off the floor. When she looked up again, Damon had vanished. She walked into the aisle and turned around when she heard Marcel approaching her

"Davina! What happened? What are you doing here?"

"I live here, remember?" Davina replied angrily. She turned away and walked back to her room. Marcel looked at her, confused, and sighed as she walked away.

At the now demolished bayou clinic, Katherine and Damon were walking around through the dead plant life and debris, looking for clues as to where Elena could be.

"Who took her?" Damon asked.

"I don't know," Katherine replied.

"What do you mean, you don't know? And who killed her attackers? Elena! Where the hell are you! I know you like games, but this isn't funny! She unleashed her full powers. She must have been outnumbered."

"Well, if wasn't Elena who killed those men, then…" They then heard wolves howling in the visits. "Lovely. Elena's children have come out to play."

"Lycans. Always willing to defend the Mother of Wolves. The best thing she ever created," Damon muttered. They then saw Elena emerge from the forest, her clothes ripped and dirty. Her mouth was smeared with blood as were her jeans. She looked dazed and exhausted. They ran toward her. "Elena! What happened? Tell me what happened."

"We killed them all."

"We?" Katherine asked.

"The wolf. It's been following me, protecting me."

"The witches were supposed to protect you!" Damon argued. "When I get my hands on Sophie Deveraux…"

"It wasn't Sophie. It was Agnes," Elena replied.

"Fine! Agnes, Sophie, it's all the same to me! I'll slaughter the lot of them!"

"Not if Stefan gets there first," said Katherine.

"Stefan?" Elena asked. "Did you find him?"

"He's been in touch, and he has a plan. All he asks is that we take care of you," Katherine replied.

"Can we go home now? I'd really like to sleep for a few days." Damon nodded with a smile. As Elena began to walk, she stumbled and started to fall, but Damon caught her and picked her up. After taking Elena home and getting her settled in bed, Damon stopped by Cami's apartment. Cami was looking in her bedroom mirror and saw Damon standing in the doorway.

"Damon! What are you doing here?"

"I've had quite a night. I recall you mentioned something about nightmares and insomnia. I believe I can help. Can I come in?"

"This is super weird. Come in." Damon walked in. "Wait, that's right, I told you what happened. I never tell anybody, but I told you. And you said something about Sean standing alone against his demons. When he killed those men, I thought he must be mentally ill, but what if it was demons? What if a Strigoi compelled him?"

"And if so, would you devote yourself to finding the guilty party? Would you sacrifice everything to find out the truth? To what end?"

"To what end? This is the entire reason why I'm in New Orleans!"

"Cami, whatever lies on the other end of this mystery will only offer you pain! Nothing will bring your brother back! Your only hope for peace...is to forget this..."

"No"

"...and move on."

"No! Don't compel me to forget this!"

"And if I allow you to remember, the knowledge will eat away at you. Your quest for truth will only put you in danger."

"You don't care about me! You only want me to forget this so I can focus on Marcel! So I'll be a good little spy, for you!"

"I need your loyalty, yes, and though it may appear selfish to you, the scope of my plan goes far beyond myself! Power aside, I am trying to help my wife and my brother!"

"What about my brother? My twin brother. We were bonded our whole lives, and I know, I KNOW, he didn't just snap. And I need to know who did this, and I need to make this right! NO! DON'T TAKE THIS AWAY FROM ME!" Damon grabbed Cami and compelled her.

"You will do nothing. Your brother was ill. He killed those people and himself, and it was a tragedy. All you can do is move on." He let her go, and tears fell from her eyes as she sat down on her couch. Damon took her hand in his as he continued to compel her. "Know that your brother is at peace, and that you needn't worry. I will find out what happened, and when I do, I will make sure whoever harmed your brother will suffer. And as for you... tonight, you will sleep, and you will dream of a world that is far better than this one...a world where there is no evil, no demons, and all people desire only to be good."

In Davina's room at the church, the young witch touched Tim's broken violin. She turned sadly toward her wind chimes and used her magic to telekinetically make them play the song Tim played for her. She heard a floorboard creak and turned, startled. She walked toward Stefan's coffin and turned when she felt a presence behind her. She saw Stefan, looking gray from not feeding.

"It's all right, Davina. I don't mean you any harm, though I do think it's time we had a talk." They both gave each other a small smile.


	6. The Bird and the Worm

Stefan was standing in Davina's attic, focusing on the young witch's pulsing carotid artery.

"You're the one they call the Ripper," said Davina. Stefan smiled.

"Yes, that's what they call me."

"You don't look well," said Davina, taking in Stefan's gray complexion.

"Well, I had a mystical dagger embedded in my chest yesterday, so I'd say I'm holding myself together quite well. Davina, I believe that you and I have the power to end a war between witches and Strigoi before it truly begins. I, by keeping my brother in line; you, by behaving as your true self—not some tool for Marcel or the witches."

"And why should I trust you?"

"Well, for one thing, in spite of a ravenous hunger, I have not tried to take your blood."

"Why not? I'm the only one here."

"We Imperials have rules. We don't feed from children. It's abhorrent." Davina took a hat pin and pricked her finger with it. A drop of blood clung to the end of the needle, and she placed the drop on Stefan's lip. After a moment, Stefan's skin returned to its normal complexion.

Meanwhile, Damon was pacing in the back kitchen of Rousseau's. When Sophie came in with some produce, Damon grabbed her and in a puff of black smoke they appeared at the Imperial Mansion.

"We had a deal! You protect my unborn child, I dismantle Marcel's army," said Damon. "And whilst we've been busy fulfilling our part of the bargain, you allowed Elena to be attacked and almost killed by a gaggle of lunatic witches."

"I had nothing to do with it, I swear. Elena and I are linked, remember? She dies, I die."

"Then who were they?" Katherine asked.

"They are a faction of extremists. Sabine stupidly told them about some vision she had about the baby."

"What kind of vision?" Elena asked.

"She has them all the time. They are totally open to interpretation. I'm guessing she's wrong on this one."

"Well, how, may I ask, was this particular vision interpreted?" Damon questioned.

"Pretty much that your baby would bring death to all witches."

"Well, I grow fonder of this child by the second."

"Sophie, look, I promised Stefan that I would protect our family whilst he tries to win your witch Davina's loyalty. Why don't you tell me just how extreme this faction is?" Katherine asked.

"Stefan's talking to Davina?"

"Yeah. As we speak, I imagine."

"I'm guessing she'll have plenty to say about that crowd."

"Do tell," Damon prodded.

"I...wasn't always an advocate for the witches. My sister was devoted, like our parents, and our upbringing was very strict, which drove me nuts. The minute I turned 21, I left the Quarter to travel...and play. But, I wanted to be a chef, so I came back to Rousseau's. My sister came to see me that day. The elders had called a vote. They were moving forward with the Harvest."

"What the hell is a Harvest?" Elena asked.

"It's a ritual performed every three centuries. Its purpose is to restore the bond to ancestral magic. We appease our ancestors, they keep our ancestral power flowing."

"And why haven't I heard of this?" Damon asked.

"Because a Harvest always seemed like a myth. A story, passed on through generations like Noah's ark, or the Buddha walking on water. The kind some people take literally, and some people don't. They had the girls of our community preparing for months. Four would be chosen for the Harvest. They said that it was an honor, that they were special. I thought it was a myth."

"Was it?" Katherine asked. Sophie looked guilty, but before she could say anything Damon's cell rang.

"Marcel," Damon answered. "Bit early in the day for you isn't it?"

"I know. I make this look easy, I still have an empire to run."

"Rather you than me. All that responsibility seems like such a bore."

"Well, this might spice things up. I just heard about a bunch of dead witches out in the bayou. The kinda damage a lycan might do, only there was no full moon. I have an informant out there I need to meet and I would love for you to go with me."

"Dead witches in the bayou. Sounds like less of a problem, and more like a cause for celebration."

"Well, something killed them. And may still be out there. And I would love for you to accompany me."

"Oh, why not? Haven't been to the bayou in ages. I'm on my way."

"You can't go out there now. I need to gather the witches' remains and consecrate them. If I don't get to them before sundown, we'll lose the link to their magic," said Sophie.

"Those witches tried to kill my wife. I'd prefer for Marcel's informant not to find anything that would lead him back to us. Stay put. And save the rest of your story 'til I return."

At St. Anne's Church, Father Kieran was sweeping when Marcel entered.

"Look who's back. Here to visit your prisoner in the attic?" Kieran asked.

"Lay off. She's not a prisoner. And I'm moving her tonight. Too many people know where she is."

"I have been hearing about what you've been up to since I've been out of town. Using that girl to keep the witches from doing magic?"

"All respect, Father K. If you're going defend the witches' rights, we got nothin' to talk about." Upstairs, Davina was drawing while Stefan walked around, holding Tim's damaged violin in his hand.

"Do you play?" he asked.

"That's…not mine." Stefan sat in a chair and tinkered with the violin for a moment, until Marcel's steps could be heard from outside the room. When he entered, Stefan had hidden himself away.

"Good news, Little D. I'm moving you out of this pile of dust," said Marcel.

"Are you serious? When?"

"Tonight. I just need to lock in the arrangements. How's our Imperial?" He headed toward the coffin.

"Uh, don't disturb the body! I have a spell in progress."

"Bet you do. Pack up, 'kay? Only what you wanna take. I'll buy ya anything else you need."

"Okay." Marcel left the attic and Stefan appeared from behind a corner.

"You didn't reveal that I was awake," he said.

"We're not done talking yet." Stefan picked up the violin again and sat down.

"You and Marcel seem very close."

"Marcel's my family."

"And yet Marcel is someone who delights in harming the witches. Those people, I would think, you would consider family. This doesn't trouble you?"

"No. They deserve it."

"Why would you say that?"

"'Cause they're liars. All of them. They made me and my friends do this Harvest ritual. They said our participation would bring our family strength, health...that we'd forever be celebrated as saviors of the community. But all they really wanted was more power. So, I left before they could get it. Now, they're running out of time, because after the Harvest, comes the Reaping. And if they don't complete the Harvest, there won't be a Reaping. Soon, all the witches in the Quarter will start to lose their power. Eventually, they will cease to be witches altogether."

"So what does it take to complete this ritual?"

"I have to die." Stefan shifted uneasily, shocked.

At Lafayette Cemetery, Sophie was packing a small bottle into a backpack. Sophie turned around and saw Elena.

"Hey. What the hell?" she said.

"You're going out there anyway, aren't you? I wanna go with you," said Elena.

"No, thanks. Already got assaulted by your husband this morning. Don't need a repeat."

"A group of lycans helped me slaughter your witches who tried to kill me. I'm their creator, their mother in a sense. They like me and hate you guys, so you'll be safer if I tag along.

"Sorry if I'm not buying your sudden concern for my safety." Elena slammed her hand against the wall, forcing Sophie to stop.

"Listen. Marcel ran the lycans out of the Quarter, into the bayou. And this pack saved my life. I'd like to offer my gratitude. So, I'm coming with you."

"Could you two be more idiotic?" Katherine asked. Elena and Sophie saw Katherine in the doorway. "I can play the follow game too, you know. You heard Damon, he and Marcel are headed right where you're going."

"So distract them," said Elena. "Because unless you wanna lock a hormonal, pregnant Imperial Strigoi in a tomb, I'm coming with you. And wouldn't Stefan be mad if he hears that the baby and I died of asphyxiation?" Katherine stared at her sister, annoyed. Sophie rolled her eyes and sighed again, resigned to having Elena and Katherine tag along.

Later, Damon was standing in front of a bar on the phone with Katherine.

"What's the matter, Kat? Sour I'm having lunch with your son instead of you?"

"What is all that dreadful hillbilly ruckus in the background?"

"According to the dreadful signage, it's Big Auggie's Bayou Bar."

"Well, order up a few rounds of moonshine and steer clear of the dead witches for a few. The witch is on a burial mission, your lover is on a quest for her lost children, and I am keeping Stefan's promise to keep her safe, so stall, please?" Katherine hung up and Damon, angry and annoyed, entered the bar.

"Everything okay?" Marcel asked.

"Oh, just the usual. Temperamental sister-in-law. So, where's your informant?"

"Tomas? He's out sniffin' around. Let's grab a drink, and then we'll chase him down."

"Well, I suppose it will give us a chance to talk things over, like why you haven't returned Stefan. Maybe your young witch has grown partial to his company. She must get so bored."

"You never stop, do you?"

"You never answer, do you?"

"Why're you so curious about Davina?"

"If I had a 16-year-old, all-powerful witch at my beck and call, you would wonder about her, too."

"You're never gonna get her."

"Okay, okay. I'll ask the harmless questions, then. How did you meet her?"

"That might surprise you," Marcel laughed. "This was eight months ago, before I banned the witches from using magic. Relations between Strigoi and witches weren't what you'd you call friendly, by any means, but let's just say we were a little less... divided. In fact, some of us were getting along just fine, especially me and Sophie if you know what I mean."

"You and Sophie? You hypocrite. You torture those witches, and yet there you were, getting positively Romeo and Juliet with Sophie Deveraux."

"It wasn't like that. It was a...mutually satisfying hook-up."

"So, if Sophie didn't turn to you, her secret Strigoi lover, in her hour of need, what did she do?"

"She did what any good girl do. She went to her priest. The witches were furious with Father Kieran for intervening. Sophie tells me that the witches put a hex on his nephew, Sean, made it seem like he was slowly losing his mind in order to distract Kieran, while they kept planning for the Harvest."

"So they attacked Kieran's nephew."

"Yeah. Kid wasn't the same after that, ended up going postal, killing all his fellow seminary students, all of them, and then himself."

"I might have read about that. The boy...killed a twin, or he was a twin or something."

"Ah, no no no, they said he had a twin sister." Marcel sipped his liquor, while Damon downed all of his in one gulp, obviously angered at learning that the witches hexed Cami's brother into killing all of those people.

In Davina's attic, Stefan was still fiddling with the violin as Davina packed her suitcase.

"So, enlighten me. What did you mean when you said you had to die?" Stefan asked.

"That's what the Harvest was. They said they'd put us four girls in a state of, like, peaceful limbo as part of the offering. And then later, at the Reaping, we'd awaken and be reborn. I never got as far as the limbo part, which means the Harvest isn't complete. That's why the witches are so freaked out. The Reaping is just around the corner, and if they don't finish it before then, it's over. All I have to do is wait it out."

"And then what?"

"They're punished, and I'm free."

"From Marcel?"

"Of magic. All our power will drain away. I'll be normal." Davina smiled slightly.

"Is that what you want? To be normal?"

"I just don't wanna be what I am. I can't control it sometimes. Magic. I...hurt people. Even when I don't mean to."

"Why don't you tell me about your friends? You must miss them."

"There's Tim. He doesn't know about any of this witch stuff. He's normal. My best friend, Monique. She was a part of the Harvest too. She's lucky. No one ever fought for me, but someone fought for her. The only one who ever spoke out against the Harvest was Monique's aunt."

"And who is that?

"Sophie Deveraux."

In the bayou, Sophie, Katherine, and Elena continued to walk around, looking for the dead witches.

"So Sophie, this Harvest thingy…tell me more," said Katherine.

"Damon said to wait."

"Yes. He also said to stay out of the bayou and yet here we are, amongst the crawly, buzzy creatures."

"We're here," said Elena as they reached the place where the witches were killed. They were all bloodied and ripped apart, and a dismembered head lay near the bodies. Sophie, who looked sick, kneeled down to dig in her bag for the ingredients she needed to consecrate her fellow witches. "Whoa." Elena noticed a huge paw print in the mud. In a nearby tree, there were three bloody scratches in the bark.

"Is that a wolf track?" Sophie asked. They heard a crunching noise, like footsteps, nearby. The person approaching them was a male Strigoi – Marcel's informant, Tomas.

"What the hell? An Imperial." Tomas ran away at Strigoi speed. Katherine pulled out her phone and called Damon. Damon walked outside of the bar as he talked to Katherine.

"Let me understand this: against all logic, you and Elena went to the bayou, where you ran into a man you think may be Marcel's informant, and then you lost him?"

"Yes, and now that we've established that I am a failure as a sister-in-law, and a friend, and an Imperial, you should probably know he's on his way to Marcel right now to rat me out. Skinny guy in a hurry, looks like he saw a ghost."

"I'll handle it, but I'll need a distraction."

"I'm on my way," Katherine smirked. She hung up and swatted at a mosquito that landed on her arm. Damon entered the bar again.

"Katherine again?"

"She craves attention. So come along, you were just getting to the juicy bits."

"I can't joke around about this. I've done a lot in my day, but I do have a rule about kids." As Marcel continued to tell Damon the story, Davina conveyed the night's events as well to Stefan.

"No one but Sophie ever questioned the Harvest. Not even my own mother. So neither did I. We thought it was such an honor, we had such faith. We were so stupid."

"So how did it begin?"

"We were led out like princesses. My mother was so proud. Bastiana, one of the Elders, called upon the four elements to bind our past and future magic together. Earth, to connect us to our ancestors. Water, to heal the community. Wind, to carry us to our ancestors and back. Fire, to purify. After all our preparation, we knew exactly what to expect. For weeks they told us that the magic in the knife they used to cut our palms would put us to sleep, and that later at the Reaping, we would all be resurrected. They said we'd awaken, and all be together and more powerful than ever. And it was just like we rehearsed it. All that was left was a little cut on our palms for the blood sacrifice. Even after Sophie tried to stop it, we didn't suspect anything. They lied. It wasn't just a little cut on the palm. They needed to slit our throats."

"Everyone involved in the ritual knew that this would happen."

"Except the four of us. They weren't putting us to sleep, they were slaughtering us! I begged for someone to help. My own mother turned away from me. Sophie screamed and screamed for her sister, anyone, to do something. But no one did."

"And yet you survived. Therefore, someone or something intervened."

"Yes. Someone finally did. The Strigoi. Marcel. Every girl who died released her power on to the next. When I was the last one, I suddenly had all of it, all the power that was supposed to be released back into the earth to appease our ancestors."

"So... the Harvest was actually working?"

"Something was working. And I knew that I was supposed to be killed so the Harvest could be completed and we would all be resurrected. But, they lied to us about how they were killing us. How do I know they weren't lying to us about coming back? But mostly, I just didn't want to die. So, I let him save me. Marcel saved my life." Stefab was disgusted by how Davina was treated, sympathetic toward the girl's plight. At the bar, Marcel had finished telling Damon of the Harvest as well.

"You're the one who stopped it," said Damon.

"Kieran knew every detail from Sophie. After his nephew's massacre in the church, he was so torn up. He left town just before the Harvest. But on his way out, he came to me, and he asked me to stop the Harvest. He knew I didn't want the witches getting any more power. And I do have a rule about people abusing kids, so, I did what he asked. But I was too late. There was something about seeing Davina fight back. She didn't just go along to the slaughter, you know?"

"I do."

"I felt like she and I... we were kindred spirits."

"You were quite the knight in shining armor, though Davina must realize you owe her as much as she owes you. You never could have banned the witches from using magic without her."

"She's not exactly besties with them. I'm protecting her. A lot of them would like to get their hands on her and kill her to finish the Harvest. If they don't, the other girls stay dead, and they lose their power."

"And if they do, you lose yours."

"And Davina loses her life." Damon turned to see Katherine enter the bar.

"Isn't this like old times? Just how drunk are you two?" Katherine asked.

"Skating on the razor's edge. I'm gonna use the loo. Back in a tick."

"I haven't seen him this lushy since…I can't remember."

"So you came to take him home?"

"Why else would I be here?"

"I don't know. Maybe to make sure I didn't get too drunk and spill secrets better left unspilled about you and me. I know better."

"I hope so because you don't wanna end up on the wrong side of me, my boy." The two stared at each other intently.

Damon walked outside the bar and saw Tomas who had just returned from the bayou.

"Tomas, I presume. Marcel asked me to find out what you know about the dead witches."

"I heard they were going after some pregnant girl. She was stupid, being out there all alone."

"Yeah, she was, wasn't she? It's amazing how gullible some people can be." Damon chuckled and snapped the Strigoi's neck.

In Davina's attic, Stefan proudly held up Tim's violin.

"You may return this now to its rightful owner. It's restored." Davina took the instrument and stared at it sadly.

"I don't even know if I'll see him again." The room began to shake, as if they were in an earthquake. Stefan and Davina looked around worriedly, and the window shutters burst open as the shaking stopped.

"Davina, this power that you contain, drawn from your fallen friends—it's too much for you. You need control, which requires study and practice. Now, one of my brother's servants, Sage, is a Goddess of Witchcraft. She has many grimoires, a legacy of books filled with spells. These books contain all of the tools that you might need to control your magic and I'm sure she would be willing to help you. If you free me from here, I can share them with you. However, if you leave now with Marcel, we'll never see each other again, and I cannot find you, and I can't help you."

"The witches manipulated me. You know how that ended."

"This is not manipulation. This is one thing in exchange for another. I'm offering you a deal."

At Big Auggie's Bayou Bar, Damon entered the bar. Marcel was gone and Katherine returned from the restroom.

"Where's Marcel?" Damon asked Katherine.

"Huh?"

"He didn't tell you he was leaving?"

"No. Do you think he realized we were stalling him?"

"No. Unless...he was stalling us."

At the church, Marcel burst into Davina's room. Stefan was hiding in his coffin.

"Okay, now's our shot. You ready to blow this joint?"

"Can't wait," Davina smiled. Marcel grabbed Davina's suitcase and the two got ready to leave the room.

"We'll leave Stefan behind as a parting gift. Might buy me a little forgiveness for pulling one over on him. Let's go." The two left the attic, though Davina gave her room a final parting glance before she went. When the two of them were out of earshot, Stefan pulled himself out of his coffin. Downstairs, Marcel walked ahead of Davina. She stopped suddenly in the middle of the church's main room, and he turned to look at her. "What's wrong? What's happening?" The church started shaking, and Davina's body tensed up as her body started to spasm.

"I don't know. Something's wrong. Marcel. There's something dangerous out there. Take me back!" Davina passed out and Marcel caught her.

"Damn it." He picked her up and carried her back to her room. Upstairs, Stefan waited in the doorway and smiled. He had hidden by the time Marcel brought her back up to her room and put her into bed. He tucked her in under her blankets, and after looking at her for a moment, he took his leave. Once he was gone, Davina opened her eyes and lifted her head.

"Stefan?" Davina called out.

"I'm glad you stayed," said Stefan, coming out of hiding.

"You'll keep your promise about Sage's spell book?"

"I will. I am sorry that your family failed you."

Downstairs, Marcel ran into Father Kieran.

"Now what? You just gonna leave her up there for anybody to find?"

"I'm not in the mood, Kieran."

"You were supposed to get her out of New Orleans after the Harvest. We failed those other three girls, we didn't fail her. That is why I came to you for help. That was the plan."

"Plans change."

"Especially after you found out how powerful she was."

"Let's get something straight. For eight months since you left, I've been running this town just fine. I don't need you coming back and gettin' in my business. I will do what I want, where I want. Got it?"

"You wanna be the boss? You wanna call the shots? Fine! But I call the shots with the humans! And you don't wanna make an enemy of me. So, I would suggest one thing—stay away from my niece."

"Fine. Who the hell's your niece?"

"Cami." Marcel stopped in his tracks and considered this news for a moment, before huffing in frustration and leaving. Later outside the Abattoir, Marcel walked into the courtyard where Damon was waiting for him up on the top of a cement barrier.

"Taking me on a field trip to distract me. Pathetic. And obvious—I taught you better than that," said Damon.

"You taught me to protect what's mine. You will not take Davina from me—end of story."

"An immutable law of nature, Marcel, is the strong always take from the weak."

"Oh, if you were so strong, you wouldn't have run away from New Orleans like a little bitch, all those years ago." Suddenly, Stefan appeared out of nowhere and attacked Marcel.

"Hello, Marcel."

"Stefan."

"I believe you've been playing king with a bunch of children for too long. Don't mistake us for your Half-Blood lackeys, Marcel. We can take Davina anytime we like." Stefan and Damon then left the compound.

Meanwhile at the Imperial Mansion, Katherine poured several drinks as she spoke with Elena.

"I don't care if we have to get you a leash, that was your last trip to the bayou. What is it with you and those wolves, anyway?" Katherine asked.

"I created the lycan species, Katherine. They're my children. I feel like we're connected somehow." Katherine handed her sister a drink. Elena side-eyed her, and Katherine suddenly remembered that her sister can't drink.

"Oh, right." Katherine downed Elena's drink. Their conversation was then interrupted by Damon walking through the front door.

"Damon, finally," said Katherine. "What…" Stefan walked through the door, Damon behind him. Katherine ran to Stefan and hugged him tightly. "Stefan! You're safe!" Stefan saw Elena over Katherine's shoulder. They smiled at each other before Elena left the room.

A few minutes later, everyone sat in the study where Stefan stood behind the desk and explained everything he had learned from Davina that day.

"Everything that brought us here to New Orleans was a lie. This story that Sophie Deveraux fabricated, this struggle for control of the French Quarter, this war between Strigoi and witches, wasn't over territory at all, this was over Davina. Eight months ago, Sophie Deveraux and her sister Jane-Anne lost everything. Then they discovered the rumors of our location. Suddenly, all hope is renewed. Jane-Anne actually sacrificed her life so that her sister could use you to find Davina. If Sophie Deveraux is successful in capturing Davina, she can return Jane-Anne's daughter back to life. We thought we'd come here to wage a war for power. This is about family. In order to return her niece to life, Sophie Deveraux will fight to the death. That makes her more dangerous than anyone."


	7. Diggin My Own Grave

At the Imperial Mansion, Damon and Stefan sat opposite each other in the living room. Damon was reading "A Poison Tree" by William Blake while Stefan read through one of Sage's grimoires. A dead girl was lying on the coffee table as they listened to classical music. After a moment, Katherine walked in, a hand on her hip.

"So this is what you do in your spare time?" she huffed. "Strigoi book club?"

"Reading edifies the mind, Katherine. Isn't that right, Stefan?"

"Yes, that's quite right, Damon."

"And what's this business?" She gestured to the dead girl on the table.

"I presumed, after so much time desiccating in a coffin, that my little brother might be a bit peckish."

"And I explained to my big brother that this nonsense isn't necessary."

"Well, I suppose I'll go fetch the garbage then, because she's staining a two hundred-year-old carpet!" Katherine scolded. Stefan looked up from his book to see the girl bleeding out onto the table and floor.

"Ah, yes." Katherine left for the back yard while Elena walked into the kitchen, a hand on her pregnant belly. Stefan set down the grimoire and followed Elena. He found her rooting through the fridge.

"Good morning," he greeted, leaning against the doorway.

"Hey," Elena smiled. "Listen, would it kill any of you to make sure milk is on the grocery list?"

"Speaking of, add bleach," said Katherine as she walked in through the back door with a garbage can. She stomped into the living room to clean up the mess.

"You know, I do hope everything has been okay in my absence," said Stefan as Elena pulled out some ice cream from the freezer.

"In your absence, as you like to call it, which is a way-too-polite way of saying that you were daggered…I have been attacked by French Quarter Half-Bloods and I was nearly murdered by witches who are convinced my baby is Lucifer." Stefan smiled sympathetically as he pulled a bottle milk out of the refrigerator. "Oh…milk."

"I'm just happy to see that you're in one piece. So, back to the murderous witches. I have some concerns."

"They're evil. And, my life is still magically linked to Sophie Deveraux, which is not comforting."

"Yes, I think it's time we took care of that little problem."

"Who do we have to kill?"

"Probably no one." Elena arched a brow.

"Alright. Potentially everyone." They walked back into the living room and saw Katherine scrubbing bloodstains out of the carpet. She noticed Damon was reading "A Poison Tree."

"Poetry about poisoned apples from dead trees? Is someone worried about impending daddyhood?" Elena chuckled.

"Nonsense. Stefan's back. In his presence, all problems turn to pixie-dust and float away!" Elena rolled her eyes and then noticed Sage's spell book on the coffee table.

"What are you doing with Sage's spellbook?"

"Well, in exchange for my freedom, I promised the witch Davina that I would share a few pages from Hecate's grimoire. To help her learn to control her magic. I thought we'd begin with a little unlinking spell."

"Wait, you want to use her to unlink Elena from Sophie Deveraux?"

"Sophie brought us here under false pretenses! She doesn't just want us to take down Marcel and his minions. She wants to take Davina back. So, she yolked her own cause to ours, with magic threats and half-truths! Well, no more. As of now, our deal with Sophie Deveraux is null and void." Elena, Damon, and Katherine grinned. "Damon, let's go to the church. I need five minutes alone with Davina and you need to make sure that I am not interrupted. Katherine, you stay here with Elena."

A few minutes later, Stefan arrived at Davina's room at St. Anne's Church. He knocked on the doorframe and Davina smiled when she saw him.

"I made you a promise," he said, holding up pages of Sage's grimoire in a cloth.

"Come in." Davina spread a page of the grimoire on her table. "It's a spell of unknotting?"

"This is a sanguinum knot. The witches use it as representational magic. If you can unknot this using that spell, you will have taken a step towards learning control. This is one of Sage's later spells. It requires much more power than you realize. Now, if you can perform this, then I shall return with another page. A spell of your choosing, next time." He then left.

Meanwhile at the Imperial Mansion, Elena yelled in pain as she grasped her neck. When she pulled her hand away, she noticed blood on her fingers. Katherine heard the shout and walked in.

"What the hell was that?" Katherine asked.

"Hell if I know. It felt like I was being stabbed." At Rousseau's, Stefan and Damon found Sabine on the floor of the kitchen.

"What happened?" Stefan asked gruffly as he helped Sabine up.

"It was Agnes. Her men took Sophie."

"Where is she?" Damon asked.

"If I tell you where Agnes is, you'll just kill her."

"Isn't that obvious?"

"Look, I know she's a little...coo-coo, but she's our last living Elder. That might not mean a lot to you, but it means plenty to us. The Elders are the only ones who can do important spells."

"Like completing the Harvest ritual?" Stefan asked.

"You know about that?"

"Oh, you'd be astounded by the things I know."

"Allow me to entertain you with today's list of priorities," said Damon. "One, unlink your friend Sophie so she no longer controls the fate of my wife. Two, there is no two."

"I believe what my brother is attempting to communicate, here, is that neither the life of this Elder, nor the Harvest ritual, nor your coven's connection to magic are of any relevance to him, whatsoever. Now talk," Stefan threatened. At the mansion, Elena was sitting in an armchair when Katherine walked in with a basket of apples.

"Time for the demon spawn to snack!" she joked.

"I really wish you wouldn't call her that."

"Oh, sorry, have you picked another name yet? Take an apple. The plantation's lousy with them."

"I feel fine...which is weird. I'm sure it's Sophie-related," Elena replied as she plucked an apple out of the basket.

"Then, do us a favor, and don't die. I'll never hear the end of it." Elena chuckled and went to bite the apple when she began to feel woozy. "What's wrong?"

"I dunno, probably morning sickness." Katherine placed her hand on Elena's forehead.

"You're burning up."

At Lafayette Cemetery, Damon and Stefan found Sophie and Damon broke her free from her chains.

"Agnes stuck me with a needle. Cursed objects were created a long time ago. We use them so we don't get busted by Marcel for doing magic. The one she used is called the Needle of Sorrows. It was cursed in 1860 when..."

"Jump ahead a few decades and tell us what it does," Damon interrupted impatiently.

"It has only one purpose: to kill a child in utero by raising her blood temperature." Damon and Stefan were stunned and furious.

"It's for a miscarriage," said Stefan. Sophie nodded. "Lovely. How much time do we have to fix this?"

"It will do what it's meant to by tonight's high tide. And believe me, it will work. I saw her use a similar object on a kid who went mad and killed a bunch of priests."

"I'd like to have a chat with this Agnes. Where can I find her?" Stefan asked.

"You won't! There are a thousand places she could hole up to wait it out."

"That's precisely why we need to unlink you from Elena. No more danger toward her or the child."

"No, what? If I am not linked to Elena, I lose my leverage on you. We had a deal!"

"We are not on the same side anymore, little witch. Our deal no longer stands," said Damon. Sophie looked at them, outraged. A few minutes later, Father Kieran was meeting with some city officials at St. Anne's.

"So, a few tourists go missing. Okay, we can spin it, no problem. But do you know how hard it is to sell a gas leak story to the city council when a bunch of church windows magically explode?" the Mayor asked.

"Mr. Mayor, what is this, an electoral debate? Marcel overstepped, I will handle it," said Kieran. Stefan then entered through the front door.

"Easier said than done. Marcel is quite resilient," Stefan spoke up. A police officer tried to stop him, but Stefan broke his fingers.

"Who the hell are you?" the Mayor asked.

"My name is Stefan. And you lot are the Faction. Pillars of the community who maintain the city's supernatural balance. Well, I should know. My family created this group. Only, in my day, it was a bunch of pirates and corrupt politicians. Looks like nothing's changed."

"One thing has: it's exclusively human now. No vampires allowed, especially no Imperials," said Kieran.

"I haven't come to join!" Stefan laughed. "I've come to ask this group to utilize its considerable resources to find a witch Elder called Agnes. All I need is an address."

"And, uh, why would we want to help you?"

"What if I told you that Agnes was the answer to a question you've been asking since you ran screaming from this town? That she is the witch who hexed your nephew, Sean?" Stefan smirked, having been brought up to speed of Cami's situation by Damon.

"We'd need some time to discuss…"

"I DON'T. HAVE. TIME. Nor do I like being asked to wait."

"You may have all the Strigoi in this town cowering in fear, but right now, you are dealing with the humans. And unless you plan on killing all of us, I politely suggest you do as I say, and give us time to discuss it."

"You know what I like about you, Father? Is you are aware of our reputation, and yet still, you stand tall against me. Admirable! You have one hour." Stefan then left.

"I want that witch. Cell phone records, our guys in the 9th."

"For the vampire?" the Mayor asked.

"No. For me."

At the mansion, Katherine was blotting away the sweat from Elena's forehead with a cloth while Elena placed a glass of ice water against her head.

"I feel like I've been microwaved," Elena groaned.

"Hey, just because you're carrying a baby, doesn't mean you get to act like one." Damon then ran in with Sophie. "What the hell is she doing here?"

"I'm trying to help," Sophie replied.

"Help?" Elena asked. "You're the reason I'm in this mess! Why am I not unlinked with this witch already, Damon?"

"Let her do what she can."

"I may know a way to slow the fever down. But, I'm gonna need some special herbs. I'll text you a list." Katherine walked toward the door.

Later, Katherine was frantically rifling through bottles and jars in Jardin Grin.

"Isn't this Katie's shop?" Marcel asked, walking in. Katherine rolled her eyes and continued to look for the necessary herbs. "She leave you the keys in her will, or maybe it's just Help-Yourself Tuesday? What are you doing here?"

"You know, if you mix mugwort with sage, you've got quite the Strigoi-repellant? Wards off even the most resilient pest. Why are you here?"

"Just keeping my city safe from thieves and vandals. But, every time I turn around, I catch an Imperial with their hand in the cookie jar!"

"Well, luckily for you, your 'cookies' are the last thing on our mind."

"Oh, I can see that!"

"Camphor. Found it!" Katherine quickly left the shop.

At the church, Agnes was brought in in handcuffs with three of her cohorts.

"This is outrageous! What is the charge?" Agnes asked.

"Please, Agnes. You know that Marcel runs the vampires in this town," said Kieran as he was handed a folded cloth by the officer which he opened to see the Needle of Sorrows. "Who do you think runs everything else? I believe this is what you were looking for?" Stefan then zoomed to Kieran's side.

"Hello, Agnes."

"You made a deal with an Imperial?" Agnes asked, disgusted.

"After what you did to Sean, I'd deal with the devil himself just to make you suffer!"

"You can't hurt me, the entire witch community will turn against you!"

"ENOUGH! Please, enough! I don't care about witch politics. I don't care about your ridiculous little Harvest ritual. What I care about is this trinket," said Stefan, holding up the cursed object. "Undo its curse, or I'll show you things worse than death!"

"Dark objects don't come with an off-switch! The curse took root in Sophie, she's linked to your brother's devil child. It's just a matter of time!"

Meanwhile, Elena was sitting outside beside the swimming pool of the Imperial Mansion. She was sweating bullets and groaning in pain.

"She's burning up," said Damon. "We've got to do this now."

"Get her in the water!" Sophie ordered. Damon jumped into the water and helped Elena in. Sophie mixed a cup of herbs and followed them in.

"I don't see how a midnight swim is supposed to help," said Katherine.

"Her temperature is sky-high. The water, with the help of the herbs, should cool her down. Have her drink this." She handed Damon the cup. "You're going to have to get her heart rate down." Elena drank the liquid.

"And how do you suggest I do that?" Damon asked.

"Hold her. It's a natural remedy to slow the heart rate and reduce blood pressure."

"This is never gonna work," said Katherine as Damon held Elena bridal-style in the pool.

"Davina will break the link. We just need time." Elena clung to Damon and groaned as she gasped for breath.

"Damon," Elena cried.

"Shh. Try to relax. Breathe."

"I can't."

"Elena, look at me. Long deep breaths. Just focus on the sound of my voice. You'll be okay." Elena screamed in pain and thrashed in the water. Suddenly, Sophie gasped as the linking spell began to lift.

"I just felt it lift," said Sophie. Katherine sighed in relief as Elena started to calm down. She stood up on her own, but still leaned against Damon. Sophie removed one of her earrings and poked her palm with it. Only Sophie was injured.

"Are you okay?" Damon asked Elena. She nodded and kissed him.

"I'm tired."

"You need to rest."

"Damon, I know your brother's with Agnes and I know his reputation as the Ripper of the Seven Seas," said Sophie.

"Your point?"

"I know you don't owe me anything, but please, don't let him kill her." Damon zoomed out of the pool and pulled his phone out of his jacket on the table. "Damon! She's our only access to the power we NEED to survive. Promise me that you'll stop him!" Damon dialed a number.

"It's me, where are you? Don't hurt her. I'll be there shortly. I'll make you one last promise, Sophie. I won't let my brother kill Agnes." Elena then walked toward the witch.

"I know you were just using me to save your people, but try it again, and I'll kill you," she warned.

"And I'll help," Katherine added. Damon picked Elena up and led her to the couch in the living room. He pulled an afghan over her.

"Try to rest until I return." Elena nodded and closed her eyes. He kissed her forehead. After changing clothes, he left. At the church, Stefan, Agnes, and Father Kieran were still arguing.

"You're a piece of work, Agnes. But, guess what? I'm quite a piece of work myself being the Ripper and all. You know, I contemplated leaving bits of you artfully arranged outside your family's tomb? I thought it would leave a fitting message." He sped over to Agnes and pulled her up into a chokehold. "Don't. Touch. My. Family."

"Leave her," said Damon as he entered the church. "I promised Sophie."

"You have such poor timing, brother. Come on. Just one little snap. You know she deserves it."

"That may be true, but, Stefan, don't make another move." Stefan glared at his brother and after a moment, let Agnes go.

"Fine. You always spoil my fun."

"Oh, not exactly," Damon smirked. In a puff of black smoke, he sped to the men who helped Agnes and ripped their hearts out, throwing a second man up into the air. He did the same to a third. He turned to Stefan with a bloody heart in each hand and dropped them to the floor. Agnes stared in horror as Stefan grinned proudly behind her. That was his big brother. "I promised Sophie you would not die by my brother's hand. I said nothing of my own." He grabbed Agnes in a chokehold and pushed her backwards. "Nobody hurts my family and lives." He snapped her neck and turned to leave. "No one."

Later at Rousseau's, Cami was cleaning up the bar when Damon came in to see her.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Do you remember the promise I made you?"

"Promise? Yes. You promised you'd find out what happened to Sean."

"And I kept my word. Your twin brother's behavior was not born of natural causes. A witch hexed him to commit those murders, and kill himself."

"I knew it. I knew he wasn't crazy. Who is this witch?"

"Well, you needn't trouble yourself over her. She's already paid for her actions in blood."

"Wait, what? You killed somebody?"

"Yes." Cami slapped him. "Forgive me if I'm a little surprised by your reaction."

"How the hell am I supposed to react? You just made me culpable in a revenge murder I never asked for!"

"I've been alive for over two thousand years, and I can assure you, many people have died for far less! Besides, now you can find comfort in the truth!"

"The truth? You compel me, you make me at peace with something that should be tearing me up inside! I don't know how, but I WILL undo whatever the hell it is you've done to me! And when I do, you're gonna wish you'd never laid eyes on me!" Damon stared at her sadly for a moment and then sped away. A few seconds passed and Cami suddenly forgot everything that had just happened due to Damon's compulsion. A few minutes later, he was roaming the streets of the Quarter when Marcel caught up with him.

"Hey, where you been? Not still mad about our tiff the other night, are you?" Marcel asked.

"Water under the bridge," he smiled fakely.

"I swung by your house earlier for a drink, but I must have just missed you."

"Oh, the Palace Royale Hotel didn't suit me. I moved on weeks ago."

"No, I mean your other place. Interesting location to put down your roots, the Governor's Plantation."

"We'd be pleased to host you and Davina for the evening."

"Good! I look forward to it." He and Damon shook hands, but as soon as Marcel left, Damon's smile disappeared. At the mansion, Stefan arrived to find the house empty, except for a frantic Katherine.

"Katherine, what happened?" Stefan asked.

"I don't know. I took a nap and then I woke up and Elena was gone."

"What!" Stefan yelled as Damon then walked in.

"Marcel was here," the elder brother whispered, worried. Had Marcel done something to Elena?


	8. Sleep Now In The Fire

In the courtyard of the Abattoir, hundreds of Strigoi had congregated in a crowd as they talked to each other and drank. Marcel appeared on a balcony.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Fight Night! And, the first rule of Fight Night is: The Half-Blood left standing at the end of the night is one step closer to the inner circle, and a daylight ring. If you can impress me with a little ultra-violence, you too can enjoy the warmth of the sun on your face. All you got to do is kick a little ass. Here we go!" All the Strigoi formed a circle as they waited for the announcement of the fighters. "Our first two contenders: Felicia and Otto!" Felicia and Otto fought as the rest of the Strigoi cheered them on. At one point it appeared that Otto had the upper-hand, but ultimately Felicia won the fight. "Damn, girl! Not bad!"

Suddenly, Damon and Stefan entered the courtyard. Damon walked behind Felicia and snapped her neck. The whole room went silent.

"Hello everyone. We'd like a word," Damon greeted.

"What do you think you're doing?" Marcel asked.

"It appears that we've interrupted a collection of filthy amateurs," Stefan replied.

"We've come here for my wife," said Damon. "Give her to us or...I'll kill everyone here. Starting with you."

"You two got a lot of nerve, coming into my home and making demands."

"Your home, is it?" Damon asked. "My wife! I will not ask again."

"I ain't got her. And before you start whining, I did pay her a little visit earlier tonight. I was feeling nostalgic, so I took a trip out to the Plantation. And, imagine my surprise when I realised that the Imperial family of Strigoi had taken up residence. Your girl, Elena, answered the door, we exchanged hellos, that was it. You don't believe me? Look around. Hell, I'll even help you find her. But the question that I'd ask is: if Elena isn't here, then where is she?"

A few minutes later, Damon and Stefan were waiting in the backyard of Marcel's compound.

"Not the most attractive community, are they?" Stefan asked.

"You do realize they can hear you?" Damon replied.

"You do realize I don't care?" Marcel then appeared, followed by some Strigoi and the witch, Sabine.

"You know, Stefan, I liked you better in that box," said Marcel before turning to Damon. "But to you, Damon, I owe the world, and I always show respect to my elders. If your lady is missing, you could benefit from the help of a witch. And, since I control all the witches in this town, I'll grant you one little locator spell. Sabine's the best guide in the Quarter. Need to find someone? I guarantee, she's your girl." Marcel turned to leave them to their business.

"Where are you going?" Damon asked.

"I hate to cut this short, but the sun's coming up soon. My Half-Bloods need to get inside, and I have got a city to run. I leave you to track down your lost sheep."

"Can you find her?" Stefan asked Sabine.

"I can try." Sabine waved her hands over a map where a puddle of Damon's blood traced from their current location to the bayou. "She's in the Back Country. Way up, past Houma, deep in the bayou."

"I don't suppose you could be more precise?" Stefan asked.

"There are stories of exiled lycans, encampments. If Elena went out that far, chances are she went to find them."

"Elena mentioned that she wanted to make contact with them. To thank them for protecting her. She's a long way away. We better try to catch up with her."

Meanwhile at the Half-Blood bar, Josh, Damon's spy within Marcel's ranks, was sitting at a table, drinking and watching a group of Strigoi playing drinking games. Marcel then approached him.

"You could always join them, you know," he said.

"Uh, drinking games? It's not really my thing. It kind of reminds me of the jocks in my high school. We had a pretty high quota of what you'd call 'douche-nozzles.'"

"Bullies, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Wonder what'd happen if you saw those guys now. I bet you'd tear them apart, right?"

"Ah, yeah, totally. Probably go all Strigoi ninja on them."

"You're a funny guy, Josh. In fact, I thought it was really funny last night, you know, seeing you at that plantation where Damon is staying." Josh quickly got up and tried to run away, but several other Strigoi blocked him. "You going somewhere, Josh?"

Later, Marcel entered Davina's room with a large canvas bag thrown over his shoulder.

"Marcel, something is happening. There is a witch doing magic in the Quarter," said Davina.

"Oh, no worries, that one is Marcel-approved! Besides..." He dropped the large sack on the floor. "Got something else for you to handle!" Marcel opened the bag to reveal Josh inside. Josh got his bearings, and when he saw Davina, grew scared.

"Oh, no. You're the super witch."

"Say hi to Josh."

"Why would you bring him here?" Davina asked.

"Josh has a problem. Damon compelled him to spy on me. I can't have that. So I thought: I'll just kill Josh..."

"Marcel, please! It's not my fault!" Josh pleaded.

"Then I thought: Killing a Strigoi, that would be breaking my own rule. Smart thing to do is to flip Josh, that way, he can tell Damon whatever I want. He could even spy for me. All we gotta do is wipe away that compulsion. So, what do you think?"

"I can make him forget what Damon told him. But, the more Damon said, the more it is gonna hurt."

"Hm, probably gonna hurt a lot. Josh?"

"I'll do it, anything, yes. How much pain are we talking?"

Davina held up a hand and began to remove Josh's compulsion. His vision started to blur, and he began to shout out in agony. Marcel walked out of Davina's room and down to the main room of St. Anne's Church. He then noticed someone's presence and stopped. Katherine came out of nowhere and slammed him onto the floor as she held her stiletto-heel-clad foot against his neck.

"What did you do!" she shouted.

"Has anyone ever told you you become more attractive when you're angry, Mother." Katherine lifted Marcel up and threw him against the nearby wall. He bounced off and fell into a heap on the floor.

"You took Elena!"

"Whoa, I didn't take anybody! Alright? I already sorted this out with Damon and Stefan."

"I brought those apples to you as a gift. If Damon learns it's MY fault you found your way to the plantation…"

"You really think I'd rat you out? Come on! If you think that I'd ever, in a thousand years, do ANYTHING to hurt you..."

"You become more and more like your father every day. A manipulator, a liar. You disgust me."

"Is that what you really think?"

"By all means, prove me wrong."

"Fine. Come on. There's something that you need to see." Marcel turned to leave and Katherine reluctantly followed him.

Upstairs in the attic, Josh laid in the fetal position while Davina worked on wiping Josh's mind of Damon's compulsion.

"I'm sorry, but it's just gonna get worse. Damon's compulsion runs deep. You need to think of something else. Take your mind off it. Do you like music?"

"What? I can't think of music right now," said Josh, panting from the pain. Davina sighed.

"Why?"

"I dunno, maybe because you're giving me a Voodoo lobotomy!"

"Do you like jazz?" Josh sighed in frustration. "So, what then?"

"Club stuff." Davina looked at him, confused. "House, trance. You know, 'uhnse uhnse uhnse uhnse?'"

"I'm a witch, I'm not Amish! It's just, I'm only sixteen, I don't go to clubs."

"When I was sixteen, I'd been to, like, a hundred clubs. God, that was only four years ago. It feels like another life. All I wanted to do was meet boys. Things are so much more complicated. Now, all I want to do is meet boys, feed on people's blood, get one of those daylight rings so I don't burn in the sunlight. All perfectly normal things."

As Davina listened to him talk, she walked over to her table, where Tim's violin was still resting from when Stefan fixed it.

"I like the classics. Puccini, Bach, Mozart. I took piano, not that it matters while I'm stuck here."

"Why not?"

"Marcel's worried that someone could hear. It's not his fault, he just wants to keep me safe."

"Safe from what?"

"Basically, a coven of psycho witches wants to sacrifice me in a blood ritual."

"Oh! Wow, okay, uhhh...I'm sorry?"

"Don't be. I'm going to destroy them all. And once they're gone, everything will go back to normal. I'll have my old life back!" Josh smiled sadly at her.

In the Quarter, Marcel led Katherine into the Garden.

"What is this place?" she asked.

"This is the Garden. It's where I punish Strigoi who break my rules." He pulled some blueprints out of a little hole in the wall. "But, a long time ago, it used to be something else." He spread out the blueprints and showed them to Katherine. "Go on, tell me what you see."

"Two stories, Greek columns, wrap-around porch. High ceilings, transem windows. It's lovely. So what?"

"So, I designed it for you. It was going to be ours. You, me, Thierry, and Diego."

"That, this...was supposed to be our home?"

"Yes. Except you flew the coop with your sister. I already built the foundation for the place. I halted construction after you took off. The plan was to wait for you to return. You never did so now it's where I bury the people who betray me."

"You could have found us!"

"I didn't know where! I didn't even know why you left! All you had to do was come home!"

"It was more complicated than that. Zeus cast a sleeping curse on us."

"Starting right now, Mother, you have a choice, between the family that takes away your happiness and the son who wants to give you everything you deserve."

"Damon will kill you."

"Not if we get rid of him first." Katherine looked at him in shock as to what he was proposing.

In Davina's attic, Josh was lying on the floor, sweating and pale. He panted and groaned as he pushed himself onto his elbows.

"That's it. You're free!" Davina said.

"You're right! I can feel it. Before, I was always thinking about what Damon would want me to do. Now, I'm like, 'Screw that guy!' Damon can suck it!" Davina then frowned. "What, what's that look for?"

"Marcel wants me to make you forget about me."

"Oh, you don't have to do that! I, like, owe you my life! I'll keep your secret! Besides, it's kind of nice, just talking to someone normal again."

"You think I'm normal? I'm a sixteen year old witch, living in an attic like some kind of freak."

"I'm a gay club kid who died and came back as a vampire. Yeah, normal's kind of relative, you know? Here, pinky swear on it."

Back in the Garden, Katherine and Marcel were continuing their conversation.

"Do you know how many fools have tried to vanquish Hades? If you stand against him, he will kill you, and it will be awful, and bloody, and I will not stand around and watch."

"You forget, I have a secret weapon. Davina, the most powerful witch in the last couple centuries! What if she can find a way to kill him? We bury him, down here, forever."

"Are you mad? This little chamber of horrors may work for your riff-raff, but do you really think it will hold the King of the Underworld?"

"Isn't it worth the risk? You know I'm right! Damon and Stefan will never stop trying to control you! I want to defend my home. I wanna be free. Now, you tell me; what do you want?" Katherine stared at him, saying nothing.


End file.
